All I Need
by PruedenceKimberly
Summary: Someone managed to pull Regina from the dark path that she embarked, and put an end to her rising anger and resentment towards Snow and Leopold. But this also messed with Rumplestiltskin's plan for Regina to cast the curse...what will he do? I do not own Once Upon A Time nor the characters, only the new ones.
1. Welcome to Storybrooke

Regina was pacing in her room nervously; her mother had just left and needless to say she was pretty rattled up. She had just found out that Snow was the one to tell her mother about Daniel, and she was fighting hard against the growing despair in her heart. The little girl's mistake sealed Regina's fate, her mother was keeping an even closer eye on her. She was going to marry the King in a week's time, and there was no other way around it. The recent news wasn't helping at all, and what her mother had just told her was just adding insult to injury.

Her mother had just informed her that the King was on his way to her chambers, and that she was supposed to start her 'wifely duties' from tonight, if he so wishes. Regina didn't need her mother to explain further what was meant by that; she knew exactly what it meant and she was dreading it more than anything. She hadn't even had a chance to talk to the King without her mother's presence let alone have sex with him. It was called making love for heaven's sake; it required two people who were in love! And she was NOT in love with him; her heart belonged to one man and only him; Daniel. Same could be said for the rest of her body.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by a knock on the large wooden doors; she took a deep breath to calm her nerves down before she gave whoever was on the other side permission to enter. One of the doors opened, and the King entered. He had a warm, reassuring smile on his face and it only made Regina feel even worse. He seemed kind, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, but she saw no other choice.

"Your mother said you wanted to see me" he spoke softly, and Regina nearly danced with joy for being right. When her mother had left the room, she had also left behind two glasses of red wine, and thanks to Regina's heightened sense of smell; she could smell the potion within it, and judging by how the plant immediately withered and died once Regina poured the drink in the soil, she was right. And now, the King had just unwillingly informed her that her mother was setting both of them up, but he wasn't that wrong. After all, she DID want to speak with him, just not in the way her mother was hoping.

"Yes, Your highness, if you please" she managed to say past the ever growing lump in her throat.

"Please, call me Leopold. And in fact I wanted to speak to you too" He corrected gently, and she could feel the guilt getting worse. He seemed like a good man, and she was about to tell him a whole lot of not so good things.

She gestured towards the couch, and they both sat down facing each other.

"Would you like to start or shall I?" he asked softly.

"I think you should" she replied. This would at least buy her more time to think of a way to approach the subject at hand; maybe he will provide her with an opening.

"Ever since I proposed to you, there had been something bothering me, but I didn't know how to ask." He started.

"You can ask me anything" she assured softly, and was surprised how steady her voice seemed; a complete contrast to how she was _really _feeling.

"Well, I don't know why I didn't notice at the time; but when I proposed, your mother was the one who accepted and not you. And to this day, I still haven't heard your answer."

His words were like a bucket of freezing water that was dumped on her; but it also gave her a way to start her story.

"Yes, that is true." She almost whispered.

"Well, what is your answer?" he asked, and she was stunned into silence.

After a few long moments of silence, she finally managed to find her voice "why don't I tell you a story first, and hopefully it'll answer your question?" she asked.

* * *

20 minutes later, Regina was openly sobbing and Leopold's jaw was hanging open from the shock. He couldn't believe his ears, but Regina's tears were proof enough that he wasn't hallucinating. And looking back on his proposal; Regina didn't just look stunned, she was absolutely horrified!

"Y…yo….your mother killed him?" he stuttered, and Regina could only nod.

"I have noticed that she was a bit strict and almost emotionless, but I didn't believe it was that bad" he rambled.

"No one ever does; they always think that she is just doing what is best for me, and is just too strict." She explained, through her tears.

"And she has magic? Powerful magic, you say?" he sought confirmation.

"Yes"

"She must be stopped" he suddenly sprang to his feet, and Regina's eyes widened in horror.

"No, you don't know what she is capable of, and I don't think anyone can stop her. This is not why I told you the story, I can't have you challenge her; she won't let anyone stand in her way and I won't be able to live with myself if Snow lost her father because of me." Regina put a hand on his arm.

Leopold opened his mouth to argue with her, but one look at the fear in her eyes and he relented. She _was _right after all; if anything were to happen to him, Snow would be left all alone and she is still far too young to run the kingdom.

"I appreciate your honesty Regina, but that begs the question; do you want to move forward with the wedding?" he asked.

"I can't. I was telling you this story because I need your help."

"Anything." His voice was filled with sincerity that it surprised her.

"Well, since I thought that I was going to marry Daniel, I…." she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. She was a little surprised by Leopold's amused chuckle.

"You gave yourself to him" he finished for her and her face turned crimson, she was staring at her fidgeting fingers in her lap and refused to meet his eyes.

"Well, yes." She stumbled over her words, and he leaned forward so he can cup her chin and lift her face so she can look him in the eye.

"Regina, I out of all people understand what it is to be in love, and I will not judge you for giving yourself to the man you were supposed to marry. It wasn't your fault that Cora killed him, if things had worked out, you two would have been married by now." His voice was gentle and assuring and she nodded slowly. He gave her a reassuring smile and she gave him a small one in return.

"But I still don't understand what it is that you need my help with?" he asked.

"I need to escape."

"Regina, you don't have to escape; I can think of an excuse to satisfy her as to why we are not getting married, and you won't have to live as a fugitive. If I understand correctly, she will _not _stop until she gets you back, and a life on the run is no life at all." He reasoned.

"No excuse will satisfy her and I am not just doing this for me, I …..I'm pregnant"

The smile that threatened to split his face in half was surprising but also contagious, her tear-stained face broke into a smile as well at the mention of her child and her hand rubbed her stomach.

"And of course your mother will never let you raise that child." He concluded.

"I don't think she'll even allow it to be born" she whispered fearfully.

Leopold's eyes widened in horror and surprise, "she will kill an innocent baby?"

"She won't see it as innocent; she will think that it is the reason why you wouldn't marry me. I can't let her find out, I have to escape. I can't lose this baby, and I don't want my mother to get her hands on it." She pleaded.

"How far along are you?" he asked, the gears in his head already at work.

"About two weeks" she replied, surprised at the change of subject. She failed to see the connection between how far along she was and her need to escape.

"Well, we are supposed to be married in a week, so how about you don't run away, we move forward with the wedding and you can claim that the child is mine?" he suggested, and her breath hitched in her throat.

"Excuse me?" she wanted to make sure that she heard him correctly.

"If we move forward with the wedding, you are still early enough for the child to pass as mine, that way you won't have to live your life in fear of your mother, you get to raise your child; and the child doesn't ever have to be in danger. No one will ever know the truth, not ever Snow." he explained.

"Y…yo…you would do that?" she stuttered.

"Of course I would, you saved my daughter's life, it is only fitting that I do everything in my power to make sure that I save your child's"

"Thank you" she whispered, her voice thick with tears, fear and gratitude. She didn't think he would take it so easily, let alone offer to help her. She was also grateful that he said he won't tell Snow, she didn't trust her with that kind of secret.

"Regina, I will not let you do anything you don't want; I understand what it means to be in love and to only vow to be with this person." He remarked, and she knew what he meant. He wasn't going to force her to sleep with him, because he wasn't sure he was ready either. She smiled gratefully at him, and slowly nodded to show him that she understood the meaning of his words.

"But, since to the outside world, we have to seem like a normal husband and wife; and in order for this child to pass as mine, we need to be able to tell them that she was conceived before the wedding. After all, I am the King and if I propose to a woman, chances are I won't break it off" he joked and she chuckled.

"So since I will be spending the night here, so as to not arouse your mother's suspicions" he started, coyly suggesting that he knew why Cora sent him here in the first place, "What would you like to talk about?" he asked.

"How about what is expected of me as queen?" she asked.

* * *

**Real World-Present Day.**

She had been driving for hours, and the lack of sleep was starting to take its toll on her. But she was determined to push through and keep moving, she needed to get there tonight! This had gone on long enough, and she needed to end it as fast as she could.

She finally arrived at the spot she was looking for, the side of a road in the middle of a forest, right in the middle of nowhere. She parked her car on the side of the road and got out.

"Let's see if this works" she mumbled to herself, as she walked to a certain place straight ahead. She stopped when she reached a certain point, and furrowed her eyebrows in deep concentration, as well as anticipation. She slowly took a tentative step forward, and then her face broke in a bright, truly joyful smile. She started laughing with relief as she stared at a sign to her left. She stretched her arms towards the sign, and let out a deep sigh of relief before she placed both hands on her hips and smiled.

'Welcome to Storybrooke' the sign read.

* * *

**Good, bad? Stop or continue. Let me know what you all think.**

**Metope; sorry hun but I was stuck on the name! 3**


	2. Great Expectations

The full moon was casting its silver rays over the ghostly-like deserted streets of Storybrooke, as a lone car drove through town. All of the residents were fast asleep in their warm beds on this cold, winter night without a care in the world. All except for one.

She had been tossing and turning in her bed for hours trying to summon sleep, but to no avail. She couldn't think of a reason as to why she felt so anxious, and why sleep eluded her on this night in particular. She tried going through her business in her mind; she had collected the rent, and did the monthly check-ups and renovations required of her. People were still oblivious to their seemingly normal life, but was anything but. She was living the life she wanted, and her enemies were paying the price. And anyone who dared even stand in her way had been eliminated. There was absolutely no reason for her anxiousness, and she did not like it when she couldn't control things. Cora Mills was not a woman to lose control. Never.

She had finally found a comfortable spot, and she snuggled more into her pillow. She had a lot of work in the morning and she had to get some sleep. It must be close to...

Her train of thoughts was cut short by a sound she never thought she'll hear; a sound that she wasn't supposed to hear. She threw the covers off of her and stumbled towards her window, throwing the curtains back, she stared at the sight in horror and shock. The clock tower that had been frozen for almost 20 years at 11:55 was now striking 12 times to signal midnight.

* * *

**FTL-29 years ago.**

This had been the first night in which she slept soundly in a very long time. Her morning sickness was more like all-day-especially-at-night sickness and it deprived her of sleep. Especially that since her pregnancy was still a secret; she couldn't get the rest she needed throughout the day. She and Leopold had gotten married six weeks ago, and to keep up pretenses, as well as not arouse her mother's suspicions, they were sharing a room. Which also meant that he got the lovely task of holding back her hair as she threw up in the dead of the night, not to mention come up with excuses whenever some kind of fruit would make her nauseous. She had to admit that he was quite creative, and that he saved her from a few tight spots; not to mention save her from her mother. Apparently he had a sarcastic and witty side to him, which not many people noticed since he always made the remarks in a gentle voice. And they always seemed innocent enough that her mother wouldn't think much of, but she knew better. After all, why would Cora suspect that the King is helping her daughter cover up anything? This was strictly a business arrangement for both; he wanted a mother for his daughter and Regina was to be queen.

She opened her eyes slowly, and squinted a little at the light that hit them. She smiled softly at Leopold's amused expression, and chuckled at his quirked eyebrow.

"What?" she chuckled.

"Well, getting on your mother's nerves is quite entertaining. I love the irritated expression and how her chest puffs out when she's furious." He explained and she couldn't suppress the laugh.

"Oh no, what did you do?" she tried reprimanding, but the amusement in her voice betrayed her.

"Well, apparently she sent one of the maids to wake you because 'a queen should never sleep late'" he imitated her voice, and she released a full out laugh in response, "and when I refused to let the maid wake you, she came herself and said the same thing to me; only I told her that since you were my queen and I gave you permission to do as you please, you get to sleep as much as you want. And that if you do something unbecoming of a queen, it is my job and only mine to correct you." He continued, chuckling at Regina's soft gasp.

"You didn't!" she exclaimed, her teeth showing in a wide grin and her eyes dancing with amusement.

"I most certainly did" he gloated.

"Thank you" she said sincerely.

"No need, like I told you, I quite enjoy irritating her." he smiled at her her child-like giggle and couldn't help but let out a giggle in response.

Ever since he learned the truth about the child and Daniel; he had been trying to allow her time to heal properly so she can take care of both his daughter and her child. And even though he wouldn't admit it yet, she was helping him heal too. They had both agreed that their marriage won't be intimate, and that they will just remain friends; but it felt good to have someone who actually understood what you are going through. One whose words aren't the rehearsed clichés that one offers as condolences; but rather real and heart felt ones.

"I need to talk to you about something and I need you to not freak out." he spoke softly.

"Alright, but I can't promise"

"I was thinking that maybe we should tell them about the baby" the second the last word left his mouth, her hands flew to her stomach and she rested them on it protectively.

"I'm not sure I'm ready" she whispered in a small voice.

"Why?" he asked gently.

"Because my mother would want a physician to take a look at me, and he might know the truth" she replied.

"He won't know if the baby was two weeks earlier than we claim, even if they are born ahead of schedule; babies arrive early all the time." he soothed.

"But what if she found out the truth about who the father is?" her voice was now starting to choke up with tears of fear for her child's life.

"How will she know? You lived under her nose for two weeks with that child inside of you and she didn't know you were even pregnant. It will be fine, I promise. But we are running out of excuses to tell them for your tiredness and this will get her off your back when you need to take some more rest." He reasoned.

"Alright, I suppose you are right. But I think we should tell Snow first, allow her some time to process it." She interjected, as she pushed herself off the bed.

Leopold couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfulness; she truly was a remarkable woman and mother; too bad Daniel had to die for Snow to have her. Even though he was grateful that Snow would have her in her life; but he also wanted her to be able to live her life with the one she loved.

* * *

Johanna was brushing Snow's hair when Regina walked into the room, "I'll take it from here, Johanna. Thank you."

"Your Majesty" Johanna bowed gracefully, before handing the brush over to Regina, once she was within reach and exiting the room.

"Good Morning Snow" she said softly, as she proceeded to pull back locks of hair and twist them around so she can style them for Snow.

"Good Morning, Mother" She had asked Regina if she can call her that a week ago, and Regina didn't see any reason why she couldn't. She was still fighting against the despair and anger in her heart for this child, and she figured maybe if Snow called her that, that it'll help.

"Your father and I have something to tell you" Regina exclaimed.

"Oh?" the little girl replied.

"Yes, but we thought it would be best if I told you myself."

Snow turned around to face Regina, effectively putting a halt to what Regina was doing with her hair, "What is it?" she wondered.

Regina crouched down to be at eye-level with her, she kept her voice gentle and made sure to keep the happiness and excitement in check at the mention of her baby, just in case Snow was to react badly, "I am pregnant."

Snow's eyes searched hers for a few seconds, and Regina was watching her face closely for any sign of a reaction. If Snow doubted for a second that the child was Daniel's then her mother was surely to find out. Suddenly Snow's face broke into a wide grin, and she launched herself at Regina, wrapping her arms around her neck and buried her face into it. A stunned Regina barely managed to balance herself with one hand, and wrapped the other around the giggling child.

"That's wonderful news, congratulations. I am so happy for you and Father." She exclaimed, and Regina could almost feel the joy and excitement jumping off of her skin."

"I am very glad to hear that Snow" she whispered in relief, gently stroking the girl's hair.

* * *

They were now standing in the library, as Cora, Henry, and Snow sat in the luxurious chairs opposite them. Johanna was standing next to the chair Snow occupied; they figured since Regina would probably need her help, that she should know early on.

"My wife and I have some news to share with you" Leopold spoke, placing a hand on a very nervous Regina's shoulder. He could feel how tensed her body was, and was amazed by how she kept it all off her face. Snow was beaming ear to ear, Cora was giving them a calculated look, while Henry and Johanna just waited for the actual news.

"We are going to have a child." He declared.

Regina could feel her heartbeat quicken at his words, and she watched their faces closely; especially her mother's. She wanted to look for any signs that her mother suspected the identity of the father. But the face-splitting, ear-to-ear, wide grin that lit up Cora's entire face, was all the proof she needed that her baby would be safe.

Cora immediately sprung to her feet, and to both Leopold's and Regina's surprise she engulfed Regina in a tight hug.

"Oh, Regina this is wonderful news" she exclaimed happily, "I am so happy for you and oh so proud" she beamed at her daughter once she pulled back from the hug. Regina returned her smile, with just as much happiness in it. Now her child can grow up with her, and she won't have to fear for its life.

* * *

Later that day, Regina was standing in the balcony watching the hustling and bustling in the court down below, in preparation of the ball where she and the King will announce the news to the kingdom. Cora walked up and stood beside her, "Well done, Regina, you just secured your place as queen of this realm." She praised.

Regina turned to look at her, confusion all over her features, "And how did I do that?" she wondered.

"When you give the King a son, he will be the heir to the throne and you will be the mother of the prince." Cora explained, matter-of-factly.

Regina rolled her eyes, and resisted the urge to humph at her mother's comment. It was typical Cora, only she can turn such a happy thing into a strategic move to control the kingdom.

"We don't know that it is a son, mother." She said curtly; she had entirely forgotten that if the child is a boy, that he will take the throne from Snow by law, unjustly so as well.

"May I join you ladies?" Leopold's gentle voice interrupted whatever Cora was about to say, and Regina had never been more grateful for his presence.

"Of course, your highness." Cora replied, and watched as Leopold walked to stand on the other side of Regina, and placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Overlooking the preparations I see?" he teased.

"Yes, I want everything to be perfect." She replied.

"It will be, I made sure to relay all your wishes to them. If something is not as you wish, let me know and they can fix it."

"Oh, I'm sure whatever you choose your highness will suffice; isn't that so, Regina?" Cora objected, with a pointed glare at her daughter.

"Actually, it is _her_ moment, so everything needs to be the way _she _prefers it." Leopold made sure to stress that Regina was the one in control, and was free to make her own decisions. Both he and Regina fought the urge to burst out laughing at her fallen, irritated face.

"If you will excuse me your highness, I need to go check on the seamstress."

"As you wish" was Leopold's short reply, and he internally smirked as she practically stomped away.

Once her back was turned, Regina's shoulders started to shake with suppressed laughter, and when she heard the door shut, the laughs escaped her lips.

"You were right, it is quite entertaining." She giggled, and he could only smile in satisfaction at her.

A few moments later, her laughter had subsided and her face grew serious again.

"Leopold?" she called.

"Yes"

"What if it's a boy?" she asked.

"So it's a boy, what's the problem with that?" he asked, not sure where she was going.

"By law, _he _will be the heir to the throne, and he doesn't even have the right." She voiced her fear.

"Regina, I thought of that possibility when I proposed to the plan to you." He started, "blood means nothing to me, Snow still claims that she doesn't want to be queen; and if I think that he will be a better ruler and leader than Snow, then I will gladly let him."

"No, you can't. Its Snow's birth right! I don't want her resenting him"

"How is she going to resent him if she doesn't even know?" he asked, "and besides, if I feel like I can no longer rule, and that he is too young to rule and more importantly, unfit; and that Snow is, I will resign my throne to her. I can do that and she can rule to her heart's content. I promised you that this child will be raised as mine, and that includes a right to the throne; blood or not. I think we both can agree on the fact that blood sometimes makes no difference at all."

* * *

**Real world-Present.**

The young brunette walked into the room at the only inn she found in this town, and placed her bag near the dresser. She figured that she needed to check out the room, but she was severely exhausted, so she just took off her boots, jacket and scarf, and dove into the bed and quickly fell into the first peaceful sleep she had in a very long time.

* * *

**Here's the next chapter folks, let me know what you think.**

**Thank you to all those reviewed, followed and favorited. **

**To Metope; well that was a fast review my dear ;) here's the next chapter **


	3. Tick Tock Dearie

Cora had spent the entire night thinking things over and over in her head. This couldn't be happening; time could not be passing again in Storybrooke, that imp had assured her that the curse was strong and can never falter or break. So how can this be?

She had gone to her family's mausoleum and went into the secret room downstairs; checking the dozens of books on magic that she brought with her into this world. She hadn't even realized that it was morning till her alarm went off on her phone. She tried going through the conversation she had with that imp back in their land, to see if there were any signs that this might happen and only found none.

* * *

**Wonderland- 21 years ago.**

Cora was standing in the balcony of her bed chambers, watching the realm which she ruled over in the night.

"Queen of Hearts; looks like they finally found a name for you deaire" an eerily irritating, high-pitched sound resonated in the room; the same voice that she hadn't heard in years, and one that she particularly didn't want to.

"Rumple" she hissed, as she turned around, "why are you here?"

"Quite hostile, aren't we dearie?" he teased.

"What were you expecting? A warm welcome?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and venom, but it didn't deter him.

"I see we're still a bit bitter over being pushed into the mirror" he taunted, and she only narrowed her eyes at him in response.

"I knew you had something to do with this!" she barked.

"I can assure you, I did _not_! That was all _her _doing." he taunted, and Cora's eyes widened at the realization.

"You'd been teaching her magic" she spat.

"Per her request!"

"And her request just happened to be getting me out of _your _way!"

"Now, it was getting you out of _her _way, the fact that her way was also my way was just a happy coincidence."

"What do you want Rumple? Why are you here?" she bellowed, unable to tolerate his games any longer.

"I think the real question is, what is it that _you _want, dearie?" he corrected.

"You know what I want, you helped destroy it." she barked.

"Ah, yes, of course. How inconsiderate of me to forget. You want your daughter to grow bitter and resentful towards the King and his daughter; maybe even enough that she will take his life to ascend the throne. Am I correct?"

"_You_ were the one who told me that she was destined for greatness; I was only trying to help her achieve it." she spat.

"Ah, yes. And having her stuck in a miserable life was going to help her achieve that." his voice was dripping with sarcasm, and the excitement that he felt. He wasn't even trying to hide how much he was enjoying rattling her up, and try as she might, she couldn't keep it hidden.

"Love is weakness, it only keeps you down and prevents you from taking the necessary steps to achieve greatness." she said through gritted teeth.

"Well, she no longer hates the princess, and she never really did resent the king. After all, he was nothing but gentle with her, always letting her take control over her own life." he sing songed, "so it doesn't look like she'll be taking his place if something happens to him. Word around town is, she'll let the princess take the throne."

"I don't need you to tell me how my daughter is destroying her future and throwing away her life; I already know!"

"Well, there is still a chance for you to get what you want; just not in _this_ land."

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

He had told her about the curse; about how this land had no magic. She can control people's lives, create it even and they will have no choice but to follow. She can have everything she ever dreamed of, her daughter could be feared and she can be the loving and caring mother by her side pushing her to do great. The only glitch was, she can't kill anyone, or bring them back to life. She was okay with that; she didn't need to kill her enemies. No; she had a much worse fate awaiting them.

He said time would be frozen, and the days will seem like an endless time loop without anyone realizing it but her. Only she will be aware of time passing; the rest will never know. The clock tower wasn't working as a symbol of how time doesn't pass here, but now it was. He had told her that the curse was the most powerful magic of all; that it can never broken. But now; time was passing and she had no idea what the consequences of that would be.

She had hit a wall with her thinking, and couldn't find any answers. She released a sigh of frustration, and maybe even surrender as she pushed herself off the ground.

* * *

She pulled over right in front of Granny's; she had spent all night in the mausoleum and was in no mood to cook for herself. The bell above the door chimed signalling her arrival, and she smirked at how the customers in the diner fell silent. She sauntered over to the counter and sat on the stool.

Ruby, who had been watching her warily from the moment she entered the diner, walked slowly and cautiously over to her, "Do you want your usual coffee, Ms. Mills?" she asked apprehensively.

"Yes, and some pancakes and eggs." she replied curtly, and the brunette waitress nodded, before she turned around and went into the back so she can get the order started.

Cora put both her elbows on the counter top, and rested her head in her hands. She was immensely exhausted, but she wasn't sure that she'll be able to sleep if she went home. She had to understand what is happening and there was only one other person who can help her; but she didn't feel like talking to him without a few cups of coffee first.

"Mother!" a surprised voice came from beside her, and she removed her face from her hands so she can look at the source.

"Good morning, Regina" she greeted.

"Good morning, what brings you here?" she wondered.

"Same reason you came"

"You don't look so good, are you sick?"

"No, I just had a rough night that's all. Shouldn't you be at work?" she tried to change the subject.

"I'm just grabbing a cup of coffee."

Before either women were able to say anything else, Granny walked out with Cora's order.

"Good morning, Regina." she greeted, a wide smile on her face. One that was returned by Regina, much to Cora's annoyance. Regina was strict as the mayor, and she did get things done, quickly and effectively; but she was still friendly with those who were nice to her.

"Good morning, Granny."

"The usual?" the older woman asked.

"No, just a coffee this morning." she replied.

Before Granny could turn around, a to-go cup of coffee was placed in front of Regina, courtesy of Ruby.

"I heard you while I was in the back" she explained with a smile.

"Thanks, Ruby" she said, as she dropped the money on the counter and picked up her stuff.

"I'll see you later, Mother" she remarked, before taking her leave.

Cora went back to her breakfast, and was about to dig into it when an unfamiliar voice halted her movements. She turned around to find the source, and was surprised to find a young brunette that she did not recognize.

"Good morning, Ms. Cassidy." Granny greeted, "Did you find your room alright?"

"Oh, yes I absolutely loved it. The bed is unbelievably comfortable." the young brunette replied, seemingly oblivious to Cora's wide-eyed stare.

Strangers never came to Storybrooke; the outside world wasn't even supposed to be able to find it, let alone come to it. She did not look familiar and based on the conversation, she was right to assume she's a stranger.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice that you weren't from here." she said sternly.

"No, I just got here last night actually, and Granny was kind enough to give me a room." she explained, seemingly unfazed by Cora's tone or glare.

Cora was eyeing her critically, and closely. She was young, late 20s at the most; long, curly black hair that went past her shoulders and was pulled back into a loose ponytail; and brown eyes. She was about as tall as Cora was without the heels, and she seemed to be physically fit. Cora didn't know what it was, but something about the girl was familiar to her.

"I'm Cora Mills" she introduced, offering her a hand to shake.

"Stella Cassidy" she replied, taking the offered hand, and Cora nearly gasped. She suddenly remembered exactly who she was.

* * *

**FTL-28 Years Ago.**

Regina was sleeping on the propped up pillows, since she was too far along in her pregnancy to allow for any other position to be comfortable. For the first night in weeks, the baby was actually calm enough to allow Regina to sleep.

Her eyes shot open at the sudden, extreme pain in her lower abdomen. At first, she thought it was just the baby kicking, and she immediately started rubbing her swollen, round stomach in an effort to calm the fussy unborn child when another wave hit her, and she could feel a warm liquid spreading down her thighs.

Fear and panic gripped her heart, as she immediately assumed the worst. Her hand shot out in the dark, roughly grabbing the arm of a peacefully sleeping Leopold, and jolting him awake. She didn't have time to feel guilty for startling him, for another wave hit her. Her panic was already starting to get the best of her, and her chest was heaving with labored breaths.

"Regina, what's wrong?" a startled Leopold asked.

"I think something is wrong with the baby. I can feel something warm spreading down my thighs, and I am in unbearable pain" she choked out, as tears of fear and pain streamed down her face.

Leopold immediately reached across her and lit the lamp next to her, before he pulled back the covers so he can take a better look. He winced a little when Regina's nails dug into his flesh as another wave hit her, and she tightened her grip on his arm.

Regina was confused by the face-splitting grin that lit up his face, "Regina, you need to breathe, slowly and deeply. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the baby; he or she is perfect and ready to come out." he explained gently, excitement and joy evident in his voice.

Regina's eyes widened at his words, and she started to shake her head, "I cant, I'm not ready" she whimpered.

"Yes, you are. You've been ready from the moment you got pregnant. Now, I know that this is scary and painful, but you need to remember that in the end, you will have a beautiful baby in your arms. You need to focus on that, alright?" he soothed, and she nodded her head.

"Alright, now I'm going to get the guards to get Johanna, the physician and the midwives. Do you want him to tell your mother as well?"

Even though Regina was still a bit overwhelmed by the pain and the entire situation, she still couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness.

"Yes, please."she whispered and he nodded, before hurrying towards the door.

* * *

20 minutes later, the room was filled with people. Johanna and the physician arrived first, and the midwives and Cora soon followed. Johanna had helped Regina into a new nightgown, and the maids made quick work of changing the soaked bed sheets.

Once Regina was settled back onto the pillows, and the physician did a thorough examination, he informed them that everything was alright and moving along beautifully. Regina had half a mind to tell him to just reach in and pull the baby out so he can put her out of her misery, and so that she can hold her child already, but decided against it.

"Your highness, why don't you retire to the library and we will call you once the child is born? Surely, you don't want to be here with all the screaming." Cora suggested in her fake sweet voice, although anyone who knew her, knew that this wasn't really a suggestion.

Leopold only smiled innocently at her, "Lady Cora, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to witness the birth of my child"

"Of course, your highness, I just meant that maybe little Snow might need you. After all, she is a child, and the situation might be scary for her." she tried again.

"Snow is peacefully asleep, unaware of what is happening. I told them to let her sleep, like you said, she is far too young, and I did not want her to see Regina like this." he shot her down, and she only nodded. Judging by how tight Regina's grip had gotten around his hand, she was grateful and he squeezed her hand back gently to assure her.

The contractions were getting closer and closer together, and were staying for longer now. After what felt like hours to Regina, the physician finally told her that she will need to start pushing when the next contraction hit.

Soon the entire room was filled with the mixed sounds of strained screams, and orders of different sorts. Regina's face and neck were covered with a layer of sweat, as new beads trickled down her forehead with every push. Johanna kept rubbing a cold cloth against her face, to try to keep her body from over heating and Regina would offer her smiles of gratitude between pushes.

She fell back against the pillows, still clutching Leopold's hands-which had gone white by then- her chest heaving and her breath coming out short and fast.

"Regina, you need to push really hard during the next contraction."the physician ordered, although he kept his voice gentle.

Regina shook her head softly, "I cant" she whimpered.

"Oh, Regina, there isn't such a thing as you cant. Women do this all over the land, and if they can, then I am sure you can as well. Now listen to the physician and do as you're told." Cora almost snapped. As much as she wanted to see her grandson when they're born, she was getting tired of her daughter's charades.

"I don't think that an aggressive tone will do much help in this situation" Leopold almost hissed, and even Regina was surprised at his tone, but she was grateful nonetheless.

Before Cora was able to say anything, Regina gritted her teeth as another contraction hit her. She put all her effort in this push, and collapsed against the pillows in relief when the cry of a newborn filled the room.

"It's a girl" the physician announced, and Regina couldn't help but release a labored sigh of relief. She could see her mother's fallen face from the corner of her eyes, and when she looked up at Leopold, she had to bite back a laugh at the gloating expression on his face.

She pushed herself off the pillows and Leopold helped her into a sitting position, placing himself slightly behind her so she can rest her weight on him. She saw the midwives wrapping the infant in a blanket before they turned around and walked further from the bed.

"Where are they taking her?" she asked in slight panic.

Cora rolled her eyes at how weak her daughter seemed to be, 'emotions' she thought. She opened her mouth to reprimand her, but one look at Leopold and she quickly decided against it. This unusual bond between her daughter and the King was starting to get on her nerves.

"They're just cleaning her up." Leopold assured her gently, and no sooner than the words left his mouth, did they return with the still screaming infant in their arms.

Regina immediately reached for her child, and they carefully placed her in them. She pulled the crying infant closer to her body and cradled her against her chest. As soon as the child felt her mother's warmth, her cries faded and then stopped.

"How is she?" Leopold inquired.

"The child is perfectly healthy, your majesty. Children are born ahead of schedule all the time; but fear not, both mother and child are in perfect health" the physician replied politely, before he and the midwives took their leave, after Leopold thanked them.

Tears of joy were already streaming down Regina's face, as she took in the sight of her little girl. She gently stroked her tiny forehead, when the little girl opened her eyes and looked up at her mother.

Both Leopold and Regina let out sighs of relief at the sight of the big brown eyes that were looking up at them; she did not inherit her father's eyes, which was the only thing that would have exposed her identity.

"Hi" Regina half sobbed, half laughed at the child, who only blinked up at her in response.

Leopold wrapped one arm on top of Regina's around the baby, the other one still behind Regina to help keep her sitting.

"She's beautiful" he choked, and when Regina managed to tear her eyes away from her child, she was pleasantly surprised to see tears in his eyes.

"Yes she is" she beamed at the baby, as she pushed the blanket out of her face. More tears streamed down when tiny fingers wrapped around her index, and she used her thumb to gently stroke the back of the hand.

"What will you name her, your majesty?" a very exhausted Johanna asked.

Both Regina and Leopold looked up in the direction of the maid, and both could see Cora's near fuming expression at the maid's question.

"Well I am sure whatever name the King decides will suffice." Cora said through gritted teeth. She had only snapped at Johanna once, and it earned her an earful from the King, and even her daughter, and since she didn't want to arouse any suspicions she deiced to behave, as much as she is capable of anyways.

"I think since Regina was the one to do all the work, that she should be the one to choose the name." Leopold exclaimed, and Cora's jaw dropped open.

"Well, I haven't really decided, I thought that maybe when I see her I'll know." she said softly, unable to take her gaze away from the little girl, who was getting a little fussy. And as she was adjusting her in her arms, she caught the gleam of one of the stars shining through the window in the sky, reflected in the big brown eyes that were staring up at her.

"How about Stella?" she asked, looking at Leopold.

"It's beautiful." he commented, "and it suites her" he added.

"Hello, Stella" Regina greeted warmly, as she bent down to press a soft kiss to her tiny forehead.

* * *

**So this chapter took about 5 times to write due to some difficulties with the computer at work, but alas here it is. I had half a mind to end it before the last FTL flashback, but thought better of it. Let me know what you all think.**

**To Metope; never got reviewed in caps lock hun! Didn't know it was THAT good :D. I am almost always laughing whenever I imagine Cora fuming because of Leopold and Regina. Who knew Leopold had this side to him? ;) :P Now you can read this with your morning coffee :D**


	4. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

Mr. Gold was standing at the counter in his pawn shop, cleaning one of the items when the door burst open and a very livid Cora stormed in.

"You little imp, you lied to me. You told me it wouldn't break!" she yelled.

"I don't recall selling you anything as of late, Ms. Mills" he objected calmly.

"Don't play dumb with me; you and I both know that you are quite aware of what I am talking about. You tricked me, and now it is all falling apart." she hissed, slamming her fist against the counter top.

His eyes were showing the amount of confusion that he felt, and he blinked back at her innocently, "I am afraid I have no idea what you are referring to."

Cora only growled in response, before she leaned closer over the counter, so now she was in his face, "This isn't over!" she promised, before she stormed back out again.

* * *

Cora basically stomped into the sheriff's station, and went straight into his office, completely ignoring the deputy's greeting.

"Good morning, Ms. Mills; what can I do for you?" he asked.

"I need you to check up on someone."

"Someone from town?" he wondered.

"No, she just arrived today but I don't trust her, and I think she's up to no good. So I need you to do your job and find out as much as you can about her" she snapped.

"I cant go looking into people's lives for no apparent reason" he objected.

Cora sighed, after all it seemed that people were forming memories now, as proven by Granny's greeting of Stella, so she needed to make sure that she doesn't arouse suspicion. She had to be careful now, and she couldn't just order people around anymore.

"Joseph, I need you to listen to me. I understand that there is no apparent reason to check on her, and I am not asking you to arrest her or even dig up her dirty old secrets. I just want to know who she is and where she came from. Just in case her intentions aren't good." she said calmly, same fake smile on her face that she had mastered so long ago in the Enchanted Forest.

"Alright, I'll see what I can find." he relented.

As soon as she turned around to leave, a small gasp left her lips at the sight before her. The same girl that she wanted Joseph to investigate, was standing next to that school teacher, Mary Margret, laughing and talking with Mary's husband, James; the deputy.

She walked over to the door, with Joseph right behind her.

"Oh, hello, " Mary Margret, greeted once she noticed Cora; frowning slightly at Cora's fish-out-of-the-water expression.

"Hello, Mrs Nolan" Cora replied curtly, "I see you've met ."

"Yeah, I nearly knocked her over" Stella said sheepishly.

"No big deal, we all have our off days sometimes" she assured her.

"And what brings you to the Sheriff's station? I do hope everything is well" she was secretly hoping that something had happened to give Joseph an excuse to do an even more thorough investigation.

"Oh no, nothing of the sort. I just need a more permanent place to stay other than Granny's; and Mary mentioned that David's mother had a place at her house." Stella explained, and Cora could swear that she was watching her closely, but how could she be suspicious of her, she never knew her back home.

"You're planning on staying for a while?" Even though she tried to keep her voice neutral, it still betrayed her.

"Yes, I like it here, less busy than Boston"

"What about your job?" Cora asked coyly.

"I can work from home."

"So, I'll swing by after work, and pick you up?" James now joined the conversation.

"That would be great, thank you."she smiled gratefully at him.

* * *

Regina Mills stood in her bathroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She had a long and tiring day at the office, and her time in her house was even worse. People usually feel safe in their homes, but she never did. She dreaded going home every day and wished she wouldn't, but she couldn't exactly do anything that would damage her image as the Mayor of Storybrooke. Her mother had reminded her time and time again, that power is what endures, and that she must keep her image in front of the people. She looked down at her hands and pulled the sleeves down to try and cover the purple bruises on her arms; events of the previous few hours playing in her mind.

_She had gotten ready for bed, and was already getting comfortable under the covers, when she heard the door slam and knew he was home. She closed her eyes in the hope that he will let her be; but when she heard him calling her name to the top of his drunken lungs, she knew he wouldn't. Tears started cascading down her cheeks in anticipation of what to come, jerking slightly when the door to her bedroom swung open and hit the wall._

_"Oh there you are" he slurred, and she could smell the whisky in his breath before he even came closer to her._

_She screwed her eyes shut, in an effort to prolong the inevitable as much as possible. A soft whimper escaped her lips when she felt him grab her around the waist and turn her over. Before she had a chance to protest or plead, his mouth was on hers, and his hands were groping every inch of her body painfully. She knew from past experience that the more she resists, the worse it gets, so she just closed her eyes and surrendered to her fate._

She had been in the bathroom for a long time, listening to his snoring as he slept soundly after what he had done to her. She couldn't help but feel dirty everywhere he touched her, so she got rid of the shirt that she had put on and slid into the shower. As soon as the hot water hit her face, the dams also broke and she fell to her knees in heart wrenching sobs. The pain too much for her to bear.

* * *

**FTL-28 years ago.**

Regina was sleeping soundly for the first time since Stella was born. For the first two weeks, she had insisted that the baby stay with her in the room; but when her mother put up too much of a fight, she finally relented and moved her to the nursery in the room right across from hers; after Leopold reminded her that if she keeps insisting that the baby stays in the room, that the cat will be out of the bag about their relationship.

The baby had finally started sleeping soundly throughout the night, but Regina was the one who was still unable to sleep.

Shortly after she gave birth, she had decided that she needs to be able to protect her baby against her mother; and for that she needs to be able to beat her mother at her own game; she needs magic. And so she had stolen her mother's spell book and summoned the man who taught her magic; if you can even call him that. She had told him that she only wants to learn enough so that she can protect her family; and since she still hadn't told Leopold, she felt guilty. And she was also terrified; terrified of becoming her mother, terrified of reaching a point where one day she'll use magic on her own child. And so, she used to spend most of the nights watching Stella sleeping. Reminding herself everyday of why she's learning magic, and making sure that darkness doesn't find a way to her heart.

But today had been long and tiring; they had the first ball in Stella's honor, and even though the baby wasn't present for most of it; Regina was. Noblemen and royalties from all over came to congratulate the King and Queen, baring with them luxurious and lavish gifts for the 6 week old child.

And so, after the party was over, Regina was more than happy to get off the high heels, and throw her exhausted body on the bed. She had fallen asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, and had no idea when Leopold finished reading and slept.

She had no idea what it was but her eyes flew open suddenly; she had no idea why or how, but she knew something was wrong. Fear and panic seeped through her veins as she pushed herself off the bed and turned around to head for the door. No sooner than the door came into view, did she wish that it never did. Her chest started to heave at the sight; Leopold's face was drained of all the blood, with held back tears in Johanna's eyes; both looking at her with more sympathy than she could imagine. She started to shake her head, and dashed past them towards her baby's room. One of the guards caught her before she could reach the crib and held her back.

"Let me go" she screamed.

"Your majesty, I don't believe that's in your best interest." he intervened.

"I don't care" she screeched, "I want to see my daughter". She was hysterical by them, tears streaming down her cheeks and her chest heaving with short and labored breaths.

"I am so sorry your majesty" the Physician, who was standing next to the crib, now spoke. She glared at him, before she managed to finally break free from the guard's grasp and rushed over to the crib.

"No, no, no" was all she could say, over and over again as she looked at her baby. Her very still, and cold baby. She picked up the child, and tried shaking her. More tears and sobs came when she felt how still her chest was, no rise and fall with even breath, no heart beat.

"No, please, baby, wake up" she pleaded with the infant, cradling her close to her chest.

"I'm right here, baby, please wake up" she sobbed, as brought one hand to caress her tiny cheek.

Once she bent down to kiss her forehead, she got an even closer look at the child, after all they were still in the dead of the night and the candles only provided the room with a soft glow. So when she got a closer look, she immediately knew something was up.

"This isn't her" she declared, and only felt arms wrap around her from behind in response. She turned around and found Leopold's sympathetic eyes looking back at her.

"No, don't" she ordered, "this isn't her. This isn't my baby"her voice was forceful and held so much conviction, that Leopold's resolve actually faltered.

"What do you mean?" he asked gently.

"I mean, this isn't my child. Whoever this baby is, she isn't Stella" the second the last word left her mouth, collective gasps were heard from the people gathered in the room.

The baby in her arms, had literally faded away.

* * *

**So this wasn't how I planned to end the chapter, but thought better of it once I started writing. **

**How fast the next chapter gets uploaded depends on how fast you guys review.**

**Let me know what you all think.**


	5. Meet The Parents

Cora's face immediately paled when the baby faded away from Regina's arms, and her shock multiplied when Regina seemed completely unfazed by what happened, and only fixed her with a furious glare.

"Where is my daughter?" Regina hissed through gritted teeth, and Cora gulped. She tried to keep her shock and horror hidden from her daughter, but seeing as the fire in Regina's eyes only grew more fearsome every second, she wasn't doing a very good job at it. She couldn't understand how Regina knew that the baby wasn't hers, after all; she was a replica of her. And more importantly, she couldn't understand how she was able to break the spell.

"Why are you asking me?" she feigned innocence.

"Don't. play .games with me!" Regina hissed, enunciating every syllable in each word, "You and I both know that this is your doing!" she yelled, not even registering, that Leopold had told everyone to leave with the exception of Johanna and Claude, his new head of the guards.

"Cora, you need to tell us where our child is?" Leopold ordered.

"_Our_ child?!" she repeated with a raised eyebrow, "Oh dear, Regina I never expected this from you. Deceiving the King" she shook her head in mock disappointment. She figured that if the King learned the truth, his bond with her daughter will break, he will probably stop being supportive and respectful towards her, which will make Regina resentful of him, and she will turn to her. Maybe even let her guide her through the necessary steps to ascend the throne. Her knowing smirk faded when Regina's glare not so much as faltered, and Leopold's calm features turned to one of rage. The surprise was that the rage was directed at her and not at Regina.

"She may not be mine by blood, but she is mine. So I will ask you again, WHERE THE HELL IS MY CHILD?" he bellowed.

"You knew?" her voice wasn't as steady as she hoped; the shock was evident and she didn't like it.

"Of course I knew; I knew before I even married Regina" he barked.

Cora's jaw clenched and her mouth was set in a straight line, she squared her shoulders, and glared back at her daughter and the King with nothing more than venom and determination in her eyes, "She's dead."

Regina's breath hitched in her throat, and Leopold's heart sank, "what?" they both breathed.

"She's dead, I took her to Lake Nostos and drowned her." she dead panned.

"You're lying" Regina hissed.

"You can deny it all you want, dear. But the fact remains that you'll never see your daughter again, and soon enough you will thank me for it." Cora's voice held so much confidence, and lack of remorse that it was the final push for Regina.

Before she knew what she was doing, she threw her hands out in front of her, releasing the magic that had been building up in her fingers and effectively pushing Cora into the mirror. She had been waiting to her the shattering of glass, followed by her mother's angry growls, and probably magic too. But her eyes widened when she saw her mother trying to claw at the sides of the mirror, as the mirror sucked her away.

Her chest started heaving with ragged and labored breaths, although she didn't know why exactly was she panicking. Her knees buckled and she fell down, only to be caught by Leopold's arms, as they snacked around her waist. He brought them both to the ground gently, as he kept rubbing circles on her back. He figured that she used magic, but he still needed some answers.

"Regina, breathe" he ordered gently.

"H...h...he told...th...that magic is affected by your emotions; and I wanted her gone and it worked" she managed to breathe through her hyperventilation.

"Who is he?" he asked.

"Rumplestiltskin; I asked him for help so I can protect my baby against her, and he said that if I desire something enough, magic can make it happen."she sobbed.

"Alright, it's going to be okay." he soothed, his own tears now breaking through.

"We have to find her"

"Your mother? Don't worry she'll find us."

"No, Stella. I don't care about my mother; and I don't think she'll be able to make it back. Mirrors can be used as portals between realms and I think I just sent her to one, so I don't think she'll be back. But I want my baby back."

"Regina, you heard what she said, she killed her"his voice choked up on the last two words, and was surprised when Regina shook her head vigorously.

"No she didn't, she lied. If she had succeeded, she would've left the actual body and not a replica. I know she's alive,I can feel it; and she said I was never going to see her again, she slipped"she reasoned, and saw his eyes flash with hope.

"Then I will send the guards to search the land for her tomorrow morning."

"I will assembly them right now, your majesty, if you will allow me; so that we can start as soon as the sun rises." Claude now interfered, and Leopold only nodded in response.

And true to his words, as soon as the sun rose from the horizon, the palace gates opened and the knights on their horses flooded out of the gates in search for the princess. Claude and Johanna had swore to keep the identity of the child a secret, and Claude vowed that he won't stop till she is safely home.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present time.**

Stella sat the at bar at the Rabbit Hole, drinking the last of her wine glass when she saw someone sit down in the seat next to her from the corner of her eye. She hoped that if she ignored him, that he will let her be; but her hope shattered when he spoke. Especially when she recognized the voice. Her head snapped in his direction and her eyes widened at the sight of the man who had made her live a living hell when she was a child; the man who her parents had swore she would never have to deal with again; and one whom she hoped would never see again.

Her shock turned into horror and most importantly, disgust when she realized that he was hitting on her. And the idiot hadn't even bothered to take off his wedding band.

She could hear him talking but wasn't really paying much attention to what the actual words were. Her primary focus was to make sure that the magic running through her veins and begging to be released doesn't escape her fingers. She was fighting the earge to plunge her hand into his chest and watch the look of pure horror and pain as she squeezes his heart to dust.

As soon as his mouth stopped moving, her eyes darkened and a smirk appeared on her lips when he visibly swallowed and recoiled a bit in fear. She pushed herself off the bar stool, and got up in his face, "if you ever come anywhere near me again, you _will _regret it. You are married, you lying, cheating bastard. And even if you weren't; even if you were the last person on the face of this planet, I will NOT allow a slime bag like you to touch me" she hissed, and relished in the fear she saw in his eyes.

She slammed the money onto the counter, and left the bar before she looses it. She had stood up to him and got in his face, but that doesn't mean that it didn't bring back awful memories. And this time she was forced to face them alone.

_She was standing on one of the stools that they owned drying the last of the dishes. Even though she was only 5 years old, it was expected of her to clean the dishes and make sure that everything was in its right place. She was humming softly to her self, as she carefully rubbed the piece of cloth over the plate, when a loud bang caused her to jump in her place, and lose her grip on the plate, which fell to the ground with a loud crashing sound._

_Her entire body immediately started to shake in fear, when she saw the anger in the older man's eyes; her lips trembling and tears already pooling into her brown eyes._

_"You insolent child; you broke the plate" he bellowed._

_"I...I'm...s...sorry, daddy. I was startled; I didn't mean to" she hiccuped, as the tears started streaming down her face._

_"How many times do I have to teach you how to do something for you to do it correctly?"he bellowed, as he moved towards her, "You're useless" he barked, as his hand contacted with her cheek; the force causing her to loose her balance and fall to the ground._

_"You're ungrateful, I keep a roof over your head and keep you fed, and all you do is disobey me" he repetitively kicked her in the stomach, and no matter how hard she tried to recoil, and block his blows; he was still stronger and bigger than she was and she could feel every kick to her core. Tears were streaming down her face, but she didn't plead with him. She knew that it only angered him more, and that will make him hit her harder. Her head was throbbing from when she landed on the ground, and now her stomach and ribs were hurting as well. _

_"I'm sorry, I won't do it again, I promise" she kept repeating over and over again, in an effort to calm him down and get him to back down. _

_After what seemed like hours of kicking and screaming, he dragged her to her room and threw her in. The force causing her to hit her temple against the side of the head board, and blood trickled down her cheek. _

_"There will be no dinner for you tonight, and I don't want to hear a single whimper out of you. I will go into town again, and when I return I don't want to see a drop of blood on the floor, or on you." he hissed, before turning around and storming out of the house; leaving a sobbing 5 year old behind, who just couldn't understand why her father didn't love her or why her mother left her._

* * *

Cora pulled up outside 108 Mifflin Street, and switched off the engine. She sighed in exasperated frustration, as she eyed the file in the passenger seat. Joseph had walked into her office this morning and gave her the background check she wanted on Stella, and she was very frustrated to see that there was nothing in it that she can use against the girl. Moreover, the girl seemed like she was quite something, every parent's dream. She graduated high school two years early, and was in college by 16 and out of it by 19. She was a partner in the third largest international corporation in the country by the time she was 24, and was now richer than the entire town of Storybrooke combined, and she hand't even turned 28 yet. She groaned in frustration one more time and exited the car.

"Hello, Cora" a man's voice greeted from behind.

"Hello, Travis" she greeted the man once he fell into pace with her.

"Where's Regina?" she asked.

"Getting a few things from the store; you know how she is. Likes to leave things till the last minute."

"Well, I'm sure she knows what she's doing" she remarked, and before he could get in another word, a loud bark rang in the neighborhood.

Cora furrowed her eyebrows in surprise and confusion alike, no one on this street owned a dog. The only pet in Storybrooke was Pongo.

The barking kept going, and was accompanied by the sounds of laughter and talking. She looked over to Travis and found the same confused look on his face. They both started heading towards the sounds, and Cora's temper flared when she saw the girl who was currently ruining everything she ever worked for ever since she waltzed into town a week ago, carrying a box into Ruth Nolan's house, with James and Snow following her with boxes of their own and a freaking dog jumping happily at their feet. A grey husky no less, one of the most over protective dogs to ever exist.

"Good evening, Madame Mayor" a voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned around to find Leopold Blanchard, the town's defense lawyer and Mary Margret's father.

"Mr. Blanchard" she greeted, and rolled her eyes when Leopold's soft features turned into ones of hostility when he looked at Travis. She didn't know what it was, but those two hated each other. She didn't really mind, but it irritated her to great lengths when she was around.

Before the silent testosterone match could go any further, the sounds of laughter reached their ears and they saw Mary Margret and James exiting the house empty handed.

"Dad" Mary Margret called happily, as she made her way over to her father.

"Hello, sweetheart" the older man greeted affectionately, as he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"How is the moving going?" he asked.

"Great, she has less boxes than I expected; all of them are clothes, shoes and bags" James replied, a teasing annoyance in his tone.

"Women need their shoes and _purses_" she stressed the title.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before" he rolled his eyes and Leopold couldn't help but chuckle at their banter. His eyes then landed on the brunette who had just made her way out of the house and was now heading towards them.

"You must be Stella" he greeted, offering his hand to shake.

"Yes, Stella Cassidy" she shook his hand and fought the feelings that were swirling inside of her.

"Leopold Blanchard, Mary Margret's father" he introduced himself.

"Pleasure to finally meet you, I've heard a lot about you from Mary Margret" she remarked.

"Travis Spencer" Travis, and the man she had met three days ago in the bar, now offered his hand to shake.

She gave him a tight smile of recognition and ignored his offered hand, and had to bite on her cheek to keep from smiling when she saw a gloating smirk on Leopold's face.

Leopold's smirk turned into a near growl when he looked in Travis's direction and saw how he was eyeing the young brunette. He recognized the lust in his eyes, and he desperately wanted to deck him; but he knew very well he couldn't.

And it looked like his silent prayers for growling were answered, when angry growls and barks cut through the air. Stella and James, who both had their backs towards the house, now turned to see what was happening, and Stella barely managed to grab the collar around the grey husky's neck, before she attacked.

"Pandora, NO" she ordered, pulling her back, but only half heartily. After all, the dog was trying to attack Travis and scare Cora, but she had to make sure she doesn't get into trouble in this town.

The dog seemed to listen to her order and stopped its attacks but refused to back down; angry stance, her teeth showing and angry growls. Stella, very much enjoying the looks of pure horror on Cora and Travis's faces, decided to let it rest at that.

"Wow, so hostile" Travis remarked.

"She has great instincts about people, she only attacks those she doesn't like" Stella shot back, and to prove her point even further, the growling immediately stopped and the dog's entire demeanor changed when Leopold approached her and started petting her.

"Is everything alright?" a worried voice asked from somewhere behind Cora and Travis.

Stella's heart beat increased at the sound; the same one that she had been dreaming about for 20 years, and had been dying to see its owner since she arrived in town. It was still soft and gentle just like she remembered it, and the evident worry in it brought back memories from a land far far away.

When Cora and Travis parted, her silent prayers were answered. A very worried looking Regina was walking towards them, as her eyes scanned the surroundings for any sign of trouble.

"Yes, it just seems that Pandora doesn't like your husband very much." Ruth now remarked, very much enjoying the irritated looks she got out of Travis and Cora, and completely missing how Stella paled at her words.

"Husband?" she repeated.

"Yes, this is my wife." Travis now gloated, a smug and possessive smile on his face, as he placed an arm around Regina's shoulder and pulled her into his side.

"Regina Mills, I'm the mayor. Welcome to Storybrooke"

* * *

**I was going to add more flashbacks from the Enchanted Forrest to this chapter but decided it would be better to end it here otherwise the chapter would be too long, and also thought that this was enough heartache for one chapter.**

**Thank you too all those who followed, favorited and reviewed. Really appreciate it.**

**Let me know what you think.**

**To Guest; I do believe that people can love again, but I am afraid that this is not where Leopold and Regina's relationship is heading. But thank you for the suggestion though.**


	6. A Mother's Heart

Stella's heart wasn't beating anymore; she had vaguely registered her mother's voice as she introduced herself, and shook her hand in greeting. Her head was a battle field for thoughts; her mother was married to the man who had made her life hell; the same man who was hitting on her the night before; and last but not least, her mother was standing right in front of her, looking just the same as the last day she saw her and she couldn't throw herself into her warm arms. It was just like the first time she saw her, but entirely different as well. Because unlike the first time, it wasn't Jason's arms that were holding her back, but rather the fact that her mother has no idea who she is.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

Regina was rocking back and forth with the movement of the carriage as it passed the trees and meadows on both sides, as well as the occasional glimpse of the river winding through the trees. It truly was a sight to behold, but Regina only had eyes for the object in her hands. It was an infant's dress, a beautiful white silk dress, with scarlet lace adorning the waste and neckline. It was the last thing her baby wore before her mother ripped her away on that fateful day; 5 years ago.

Leopold and Claude both kept their promises and were bending over backwards to try and find her, but the search would always come up empty. They looked at hundreds of newborn babies, hoping that one of them would be her, and their hopes always shattered. They had both told her that the search will stop only when she says so, only when she feels like her baby was truly gone.

Johanna and Claude had been informed of the child's true father, and they both vowed to keep it a secret; and she was pleased that they both did indeed. No one ever learned the truth of the baby's identity; not even Snow.

Snow; the girl who started it all when she told her mother about Daniel. She had spent most of the past five years battling the growing darkness and resentment towards the princess, and sometimes she would catch herself fantasizing about ways to hurt or even kill her. She would immediately shake her head, and try to remember that Snow made a mistake and that her mother was a cunning woman.

It wasn't all that hard at first, but when the search kept coming up empty; she was rapidly losing any shred of light she had inside of her, and slowly descending into darkness. The fact that she was learning magic wasn't helping either; but she would always remind herself that she was learning it, to try and find ways to locate her missing child.

And as if life hadn't been hard enough for her, a little over a year after Stella's disappearance, her father contracted a serious illness and didn't make it. So every once in a while, when she would feel like the darkness and anger were winning the battle, she would go to her childhood home, and try to remind herself of the girl who fell in love with her stable boy. Remind herself of her hopes and dreams, and most importantly, her vows. The vows that she made to herself and to her baby; that she will never become like her mother, she would not become this bitter, angry and above all; emotionless.

Leopold had been wonderful with her; he never denied her any requests, he was still the same understanding and kind man that he was. He had let her yell at him when she needed, come at him with a sword in an effort to get her to vent, even had her crying in his arms all night at times. He never complained or told her to move on; he let her deal with the loss the best way she knew how. And for that she was eternally grateful. He had really accepted Stella as his own, even mourning her loss. He had changed a little after the disappearance and the constant dead ends; even Snow and Johanna had.

The Kingdom had mourned for months, and people reported abandoned babies in an effort to find the princess, but nothing worked. It was now 5 years later, and there were still no signs of her baby girl.

She brought the dress up to her nose, and took a deep breath. Sometimes if she closed her eyes and concentrated hard enough, she would be able to smell her. Memories of her baby flashing through her mind with every breath she took, and every tear she shed. The way she looked up at her, her big brown eyes, the way her tiny fingers used to wrap around her index, how rosy her cheeks were. That's all she had left now, memories of what it was like, and broken dreams of what it should have been like.

She was jolted out of her thoughts when the carriage came to an abrupt stop, and a loud scream echoed. The scream was followed by loud noises, and she could hear a child's voice in the midst. She put the dress down and opened the door to the carriage, putting one foot on the steps and leaning forward halfway.

"Jason, what is happening?" she demanded. The guard in question was holding onto a squirming child, who was pleading with him to let her go.

At the sound of her voice, the guard turned around and the child stopped fighting him and looked up at Regina. Regina's blood went cold in her veins at the sight of the girl, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. They always say that a mother would know her own child anywhere, and so far her instincts regarding Stella had been sharp as a razor, but could it really be her? She stepped down from the carriage, and immediately knew that she was right. She would recognize those brown eyes anywhere, but for some reason she couldn't move. She was rooted to the spot, just staring at her child, who was staring back at her.

The guards, who were all standing very still now observing the situation, were expecting anything except what happened next.

The little girl's lower lip started to tremble, and tears pooled into her eyes, "Mama?" she whimpered.

The shock of the words that left the little girl's mouth was enough to loosen the guard's grip on her and she took full advantage of it; she had slipped from his arms and dashed towards the now sobbing queen. If the guards had been surprised at what the girl said, then nothing can describe their shock, when Regina fell to her knees in time for the girl to crash into her open arms, as she sobbed, "My baby"

Small arms wrapped around Regina's neck, and tiny fingers took fistfuls of her dress as the little girl buried her face in her mother's neck. Regina wrapped her arms around the girls' small frame, one hand cradling her head, and even pushing it further into her neck, and stood up. Once Stella's feet were off the ground, stick thin legs wrapped around Regina's waist and her ankles were digging into her back a little, but she didn't care. She kissed the girl anywhere she could reach; shoulder, neck, cheek, hair; tears of relief streaming down her cheeks. And she could feel the girl's own tears on her neck, causing her to tighten her hold on her, and bring her even closer to her, if there was such a thing.

"Mama, please don't let them take me back" her voice was small and pleading, and it cut through Regina's heart like a million daggers.

"No one is taking you away, I promise." She assured her, and loosed her grip a little when she felt the small arms loosen up, and the girl trying to pull back from the hug. Judging by how she didn't loosen her legs, she didn't want to be put down and Regina didn't try to lower her to the ground. Even though she was in heels, the light weight of the five year old was making it easy for her to carry her child.

Once the girl pulled back enough to look into her mother's eyes, Regina could feel her heart shatter at the doubt, fear, and pain in them.

"You won't let them take me away and send me back to him?" she asked in a small, broken voice and Regina had to swallow the sob before it escaped her lips.

"No, I won't" she replied, trying to make her voice sound as confident as she could without sounding cold; and judging by how her eyes showed a small flicker of hope, she believed her.

"Your majesty" Jason, who was finally able to find his voice, called, causing the little girl to jump in Regina's arms and look in his direction with wide, fearful eyes.

Jason immediately put his hands up in surrender, and Regina just pulled her towards her chest again, nearly jumping with joy when Stella didn't object, and rested her head in the crook of her neck, and looked at Jason from under her eyelashes.

"Its okay baby, I'm right here" she assured her softly.

Jason was having a hard time believing that the sobbing woman with dirt covering her neck and upper chest, from where the little girl hugged her was their queen. After Stella had gone missing, she had changed. She was still more considerate and compassionate than most royals he's met, but she was snappy and distant.

"Jason, turn around. We are heading back towards the castle; and not a word of this to anyone until I speak to the King!" she ordered.

"You know the King?" Stella wondered.

"Yes, baby I do. I am married to him, and he's your father" she explained, as she pushed her hair out of her face. Her eyebrows furrowed when Stella hissed a little, but when she removed her hand, she saw why. A bloody gash at her hairline, with dried up blood down the side of her cheek.

Regina just turned around and got onto the carriage once more, with her daughter secured in her arms at last. As soon as the door was closed, she heard Jason giving his orders and the carriage started moving again.

She was quite enjoying the weight of her baby girl on her, as she ran her fingers in her hair. It was long, with waves and curls as well as dirt. She knew that she had to ask her many questions, but could also tell how exhausted the little girl was, so she decided to just enjoy the moment and ruin it with questions.

"Ma….I mean your majesty"

Regina had started to smile at the title, and how it sounded from her baby girl, when her smile fell and her heart sank at the title she used instead. She had been dreaming of hearing 'mama' out of her for so long, that it killed her that she wasn't using it, more over that she was using 'your majesty' instead.

She pulled the girl back a little, so she can look her in the eye and nearly sobbed at the amount of hurt she saw in them, "baby you don't have to call me that, you can call me mama" she nearly pleaded; she was desperate to hear it from her.

"I can?" the doubt in her voice was not helping Regina keep her resolve and not dissolve in tears in front of her daughter.

"Of course you can, I've been dreaming about it for so long. I never even got the chance to hear it from you" she kept her voice gentle, but the tears were still evident and she choked up a bit on the last few words.

"Then why did you send me away if you wanted to hear it?" her voice was hurt, broken and on the verge of tears and Regina's breath hitched in her throat at the question.

"Baby, I didn't send you away; I would never do that, you were taken from me. Your father and I have been looking all over for you ever since, but we never knew where you were." She tried to make sure that she's firm and stressed each word to try and convince the little girl in her arms that she was loved and very much wanted. The doubt however didn't falter or fade, neither did the hurt.

"Why did you give up?" she wondered.

"We never gave up, the search is still on as we speak; we were just never able to find out where she hid you" she explained.

"Who is she?"

"Someone very very bad and very very powerful; she took you from me shortly after you were born and told me she killed you. But I never believed her and neither did your father; and we've been looking for you ever since."

"How do you know she won't do it again?" she asked in fear.

"Because I sent her away as punishment for what she did; somewhere where she can never hurt you anymore" she assured.

"Why did she send me away? Is it because I was a bad daughter?" she whispered and Regina's heart sank.

"NO, don't ever say that. You were a perfect daughter, and we loved you and wanted you. She only wanted to hurt me and she used you because she knew how much you mean to me. You're not a bad daughter; you're my perfect baby girl." Her voice was gentle and she poured all the love she held for her in those words, before she leaned forward and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead. She smiled in relief when she saw some of the doubt dissipate from the little girl's eyes, before she rested her head once more on her mother's chest, taking immense comfort from the steady heartbeat.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Stella was snapped back from her walk down memory lane by the sounds of laughter, a laugh that she hadn't heard in 20 years and one that she missed terribly. Her mother was laughing as she petted Pandora, who was currently nuzzling her neck. Further proof that her earlier behavior wasn't weariness of strangers but rather knowing that those two were bad news. And it seemed that Travis really knew how to prove that he was a jerk; he put his hand on Regina's arm and tried to pull her up, when the grey husky turned onto him, growl and teeth showing that she was not happy. Almost everyone, with the exception of Cora and Travis had gloating smirks on their faces, with a grateful smile on Regina's.

Stella had tried to tell herself that Travis wasn't the same man she remembered, but one look into her mother's eye and she knew the truth. It took everything in her not to confront Cora where they stood, but she knew it would do no good. Same for walking over to Travis and ripping his heart out and maybe even torture him before she crushed it to dust.

* * *

**So hopefully this will clear up the confusion as to Travis's fairytale identity and how he knew Stella. The next chapter should be up tonight since it was supposed to be a part of this one, but it would have been very very long. Whether it is uploaded tonight or not depends on how fast you guys review.**

**To Metope; hopefully this will make your finger feel better ;)**


	7. The Strength Of Your Heart

Stella was now picking apples off Regina's apple tree for the apple turnover that they were gonna make for dinner. Ruth had invited the trio to join them for dinner as a welcome party to Stella, and Regina said that desert is on her, and Stella offered to help. She was now standing on the ladder trying to reach one of the apples on a high branch.

"Don't break your neck, they don't have to be perfect." Regina's worried voice came, "actually I think we have enough" she added and Stella had to chuckle.

"Last one, it's just so red and beautiful; and yes they do have to be perfect" she remarked, "Ah-ha; I got it" she declared cheerfully, as she snatched it off the branch and smelled it.

"Not if you break your neck in the process they don't" Regina mumbled, but Stella caught it, and she smiled wistfully at the mother she missed more than anything; even though she did NOT know who she was, she was still protective of her.

'A mother always knows' she thought.

"Don't worry, I'm used to climbing trees, without the ladder sometimes even" Stella assured her, as she they both picked up their baskets and headed towards Ruth's house.

"So who taught you how to pick apples like that?" Regina wondered.

"I don't know" she replied.

"Excuse me?!"

"I don't remember much about my life before I was 8, and I already knew how to do it by then, so I'm guessing I learned it before"

"You don't remember?" Regina asked in shock.

"No, I was found on the side of the road, not far from here actually; and the psychiatrist said that it could be a defense mechanism. That I was probably abandoned by my parents on the side of the road, and I blocked it as a defense mechanism from the shock." She elaborated.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry"

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, it's not like you were the one to do it" Stella soothed, she hated the fact that she was lying to her mother and more importantly making her sound so awful when it was the farthest thing from the truth. She knew that once Regina regained her memories there would be some explaining to do, but she wanted to stress the point that whatever happened to her in this world was not Regina's fault. It was what Regina had done for her before the curse hit that helped her pull through in this world and gave her the strength she needed to keep fighting.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

The ride back to the castle was long and exhausting, but Regina knew that she still had a long night ahead of her. Stella had fallen asleep in her arms a couple of hours ago, and no words could describe the joy, warmth and peace that filled her as her little girl slept soundly in her arms. The slow rise and fall of her chest with each deep breath seemed like it was synchronized with Regina's own breathing. Her hand hadn't stopped stroking her hair the entire time, with the occasional lingering kisses to the top of her head.

The carriage finally came to a stop and Jason opened the door for her, "Do you want me to take the princess your majesty?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine, thank you." She replied, and then took his offered hand so she can get out of the carriage with the added weight of her daughter.

The girl fussed a bit at the sudden movement, and tensed in Regina's arms, but relaxed immediately when Regina pressed her lips to the top of her head and murmured kisses and soft words into her hair, as she made her way towards the castle.

"Your majesty" Claude called her, as soon as she walked through the large wooden doors.

She turned around to face him, and whatever he was about to say evaporated into thin air as he stared at her wide eyed from the shock.

"Yes, Claude?"

"Who is this?" his voice was still a bit hoarse from the shock.

"My daughter, the missing princess" she whispered back, tears of joy and relief pooling into her eyes and causing her to choke on her words, "you can call off the search, she's home"

"Of course" he came closer to take a look at the sleeping child. He was still in shock and a bit in denial that she was back; he was expecting her to fade away from Regina's arms, just like her baby self did.

"I need you to find the King, Johanna and Snow and have them meet me in my chambers. Not a word of this leaves the castle until I say so" She kept her voice low to avoid waking her sleeping daughter, but also made sure it left no room for arguments. Claude only nodded his head in agreement before he left to find the King and Regina made her way to her chambers.

* * *

She was now sitting in a chair next to the bed, stroking Stella's hair as she slept soundly facing her, the other hand rubbing her back over the covers. The girl was small and the bed was grand, and only her head was visible from under the covers. It was a cold winter's night and Regina wanted to make sure that she was warm. She had no idea how long she was like this, just looking at her sleeping daughter, like she used to do when she was a baby, when the doors to the room opened and in walked her husband, step daughter and trusted maid. All of whom froze at the sight of the small sleeping frame of Stella.

Regina put her finger to her mouth in a sign to keep them all quiet, and motioned for them to stand a little bit further from the bed, so they can talk without disturbing Stella.

"Regina?" was all Leopold could get out. Claude had told him that the queen wanted to call off the search, and his heart sank as he immediately assumed that Regina was now convinced that her baby was gone. But now he found her sitting in a chair next to a sleeping child, who had an eerie resemblance to her. He knew that she understood the question in his words, or rather word and allowed hope to swell in his heart at her reassuring smile.

"She's back" was all she said. She was expecting the tears to fall again, but surprisingly none came. She was drained and her tear ducts were empty now.

"How?" a joyous Johanna asked, while a speechless Snow and Leopold kept looking at the sleeping girl in shock and relief.

* * *

"And you're sure it's her?" Leopold asked, once Regina was done with her story.

"Have I ever been wrong when it came to her?" she asked incredulously.

"Fair point"

"But why would your mother take her away?" Snow now asked, that question had been bugging her for years and she was never able to find an answer for it. Regina didn't like speaking about the subject, and her father had told her that Cora wanted Regina to focus on being queen.

"Snow, I already told you why" Leopold answered her.

"Yes, you said that she wanted to Regina to focus on being queen. But how would she focus when she doesn't even know where her child is? And wouldn't having your child secure her position as queen?" Snow retorted, "Father, I know that there is more to the story than that, the answer you gave me might have satisfied my 14 year old mind, but I am not 14 any more, and I know that there is more" she pressed, and then turned around to face Regina, "Please" she pleaded.

Leopold looked over at Regina, who only nodded in response. She took a few steps towards the bed, and kept her eyes focused on her little girl as Leopold guided Snow to the couch.

"Regina was in love with someone before she married me" Leopold started his tale, and furrowed his eyebrows at Snow's soft gasp.

"You know about Daniel?" she whispered and now it was his turn to be shocked.

"Yes, Regina told me about him before we got married, but how do you know?"

"I saw them in the stable kissing after you proposed to her and she said that they will run away together to escape Cora's wrath" she blabbered, "but then he…."she trailed off as the pieces of the puzzle fell neatly into their places.

"Stella is his?" her voice was barely above a whisper, and her father only nodded in response.

She then turned her head towards Regina, who had turned around and was now facing her. Regina knew what Snow's next question would be, and she also knew the shock it would give Leopold, and therefore she needed him to see the pain in her eyes so that he would know that she never lied to him, but rather lied to Snow.

"Is that why he ran away? Because you were pregnant?" Snow asked.

"Ran away?" Leopold repeated her words in shock.

"Yes, Regina told me before we came here for the wedding that he ran away and that she chose to marry you instead; that she was fooled when she thought she loved him" she ranted, and Leopold's heart sank at the dreadful realization that hit him like a train.

"Snow, did you tell Cora about Daniel and Regina?"

"Yes, she said she only wanted Regina's happiness; I thought she would help them. I never knew Regina was pregnant or that Daniel would run away" she replied, and Leopold's head snapped in Regina's direction. He was shocked, amazed and speechless at the meaning behind Snow's words. He was now seeing Regina in an entirely different light; no wonder she used to ask to go to her childhood home unaccompanied, she had to mother the child who got her love killed, which lead to Stella's disappearance later on. But even with all that, she lied to his daughter to spare her the pain and guilt that the knowledge of her actions would bring.

"Snow, Daniel didn't run away" Leopold kept his voice soft and gentle, not to mention low to make sure Stella doesn't wake up.

"He didn't?"

"No, Cora killed him" he decided that it is best said bluntly, since there really is no way to sugar coat it. His heart twisted in his chest when he saw the pain and guilt in his daughter's eyes, as the weight of what she had caused hit her like a bucket of cold water. Her chest started to heave, and she brought one hand to stifle her sobs as she turned around to look at Regina. The look on her face was proof enough that her father was telling the truth, and that what she had in mind was true; she got Daniel killed.

Her body started to shake with sobs, and she opened her mouth and closed it a few times in an effort to say something to Regina, only for her sobs to stop her every time. Johanna placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her, and her father just took her into his arms.

Before any of the adults were able to say anything, the sounds of whimpering caught their attention. They all looked over to the bed, and found Stella shaking her head from one side to the other aggressively, tears coming out of her screwed-shut eyes and a thin layer of sweat covering her face and neck.

Regina immediately rushed over to the bed, and gently shook the girl till her eyes snapped open. They were wide with fear and panic, and only calmed down a bit when she saw Regina.

"It's okay, baby, it was just a dream" Regina soothed, and gladly welcomed the little girl into her arms when she snuggled into her.

She stroked her hair soothingly, murmured kisses into her hair and rubbed her back in an effort to calm her down. A few moments later her breathing slowed down again and she grabbed onto the neckline of her mother's dress, gently running her fingers over the beading.

"Mama, I don't want to go back to him" she mumbled against Regina's chest. Regina brought one hand to cradle her head against her chest, and turned her head so that now her cheek was resting on top of her head, "I won't let anyone take you anywhere, I promise" she soothed.

And when the girl looked up at her and offered her a small smile, Regina decided that she needs to join the other three adults in the room. So she picked up the child, and balanced her on her hip, as she made her way towards them. As soon as they came into sight, she felt how Stella's entire body went rigid in her arms, and she rubbed her back comfortingly in an effort to get her to relax, but it seemed to be getting worse the closer they got.

"Sweetheart, this is your father, Snow, your sister and Johanna. She helped deliver you and helped me take care of you when you were a baby" she spoke softly to the girl, who was looking at the three adults with slight fear from under her eyelashes.

The little girl's eyes traveled from one person to the next, and they rested a bit longer on Snow's tear stained face. She hadn't really had time to clean up after their talk.

"Why are you crying?" Stella asked her, and Snow released a tearful chuckle.

"These are happy tears, because I missed you terribly and I am very glad that you are back" Snow replied, as she gently caressed her cheek with the back of her hand.

The big brown eyes now settled on Leopold, they were looking warily at him, doubt and distrust filling them and it pained him, especially that he didn't understand why.

"You're the King?"

"Yes I am and your father"

"Where's your crown?"

The adults couldn't help but chuckle at her innocent question and Regina moved her a bit to find a more comfortable position on her hip, causing the gown –if you can call it that- to rise a bit up her legs and Leopold's eyes to nearly jump out of his skull at what it revealed.

He moved closer to them, ignoring how Stella nearly jumped out of her skin when he did, and Regina's questioning gaze. He took a hold of her leg, and didn't even register how stiff the girl was in his hand, and moved the gown up a little bit more.

"Mama" she whimpered in fear, as she clung more to her mother's neck.

"Shhhhh, it's alright baby" Regina soothed, and followed Leopold's line of sight, until her eyes landed on the source of Leopold's interest; her chest tightening at the sight.

About three blue bruises adorned the little girl's thigh, and judging by how Leopold's face paled when he checked the other leg, there was more there as well.

"Stella, how did you get these?" a stunned Regina asked.

"Daddy punished me because I wasn't being a good daughter" she answered in a small voice, and Regina's heart sank.

"Stella, did he hit you?" Leopold was now the one who asked.

"Only because I was ungrateful and not behaving" she tried to defend the only father she's ever known, but even she knew in her small mind that this wasn't right. After all; it is why she ran away.

"Is he the one you were running away from?" Regina wondered, and she could feel the little girl nod against her chest.

"He was really angry and hit me hard in my stomach, and then left. I thought that maybe if I left he wouldn't be so angry all the time, but then I knew that if he found me after I escaped, he would be even more angry and…." She was now sobbing in Regina's arms, and Regina's heart was shattering with every sob and shake. She clamped her arms around the small, shaking form and rocked them both from side to side as she tried to comfort her and calm her down.

"He won't hurt you again, baby I promise." Regina choked out into her hair.

"Stella, listen to me" Leopold's voice was soft, but firm at the same time; he wanted to make sure that the little girl believed every word he said. He waited till those big, sad and fearful brown eyes met his before he went on, "what he did to you was unacceptable; you are not ungrateful and you are most certainly not a bad daughter. Even when you make a mistake, he shouldn't punish you like that."

His heart broke at the conflict he saw in her eyes; the doubt, fear, pain, hope all swirled in her eyes as they searched his for any signs of deception.

"You really mean that?" she asked, and he smiled reassuringly at her.

"With all my heart" he answered softly, and smiled in joy when he saw some of the doubt and fear fade away from her eyes and hope replacing them.

"How about a warm bath?" Johanna now suggested, in an effort to change the subject.

Stella only lifted her head off Regina's chest and looked at her mother, "I'll be with you baby" Regina assured her, before she nodded at Johanna.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Cora was going over some paperwork that had she couldn't finish the night before, thanks to the small dinner party Ruth Nolan had thrown in honor of Stella. Stella; the girl who was destroying everything she ever worked for, annoyed her to great lengths and had spent most of her time last night, getting on every last nerve Travis had. She couldn't understand what her problem with him was, and what irritated her more was the fact that the rest were very much enjoying it, including Regina.

She started rubbing her temples in an effort to rid herself of the headache, when the door to her office slammed open and said annoyance practically barreled through.

"You heartless bitch" she snarled, and Cora was almost surprised by the anger and hostility. Granted she doesn't like the girl much, but the girl has no idea who she is, does she?

"Can I help you Ms. Cassidy?" she asked calmly, and recoiled a bit at the fire in Stella's eyes.

"DON'T play games with me" she hissed, and Cora couldn't help but notice the irony; except this time she really was clueless.

"Out of everybody you could have had her marry, you chose _him_" she spoke through gritted teeth, and Cora was surprised at the amount of venom in her voice.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, dear" she replied, her voice neutral and showing absolutely no emotions.

"Don't play dumb with me, _grandma_" she spat the last title at her, and Cora's blood went cold.

Before she could get out a single word, Stella leaned over the desk and got into her face, "he had no problem beating around a 2 year old; he made my life a living hell until I ran away when I was five, FIVE" she screamed, "so I will leave it up to your imagination what he is doing to my mother; _your _daughter"

"Regina is the mayor, he can't hurt her" Cora argued, "That's the whole point of the curse, that she would be powerful"

"Yes, and that's why she's the mayor; and trust me no one wishes that I am wrong about this more than me; but I know him too well and I know her. And more importantly; I know the signs and I saw them in her eyes clear as day yesterday" she shot back.

"You're lying, you just don't like the fact that your mother has no idea who you are and has found happiness away from you" Cora spat.

"She may not remember me, but her heart does; and trust I am praying to God that she is happy, but I know she's not" she retorted, "This isn't over Cora; I will get her away from him if it is the last thing I do" she hissed, before she turned around and walked away.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago**

Regina was sitting on the couch, with Stella sitting next to her as she dried her hair. She had found more bruises than she cared to count on the girl's body during the bath, and had sent Johanna to get the royal physician; she wanted to make sure that the injuries weren't more serious than they appear.

She had asked Leopold to leave the room, because judging by how Stella flinched every time he came near her, she was wary around men. Stella was playing with the hem of the white night gown she had put her in, when the door to the room opened, causing her to jolt slightly in her place.

"It's just me, your highness, sorry if I startled you" Johanna apologized, as she walked further into the room.

Stella's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when they landed on the plate of food in Johanna's hand, "I brought you some food, sweetheart, figured you must be starving" she remarked softly, as she handed the plate to Stella.

Regina smiled at Johanna's thoughtfulness and kindness, especially when she caught site of how the food was cut into bite size pieces.

"Thank you Johanna" she thanked her and looked down at her daughter, only instead of finding a five year old inhaling the food, she found a pair of broken eyes looking up at her in silent request for permission.

Regina's heart sank at the meaning of the look, she was asking for permission to eat? Her face was a mess of emotions, shock, horror and raw pain clouded her features as she looked at her little girl. She tried to open her mouth to talk but she choked on her own words, and found that she can't seem to locate her voice.

The little girl apparently took the horrified look on Regina's face and her silence as a no, and therefore turned around to face Johanna, "Thank you, but I am not hungry" her voice, was small, broken and betrayed.

"Stella, were you asking for my permission to eat?" Regina forced the words out past the ever growing lump in her throat, and at the look she gave her, she knew the answer.

She pulled the little girl into her lap, and turned her around to face her, "you don't need to ask for permission to eat, you can eat whenever you're hungry, and you can eat until you no longer are" she tried to keep her voice firm, yet gentle; offering the girl a small, reassuring, loving smile when she nodded her head slowly. She pressed a kiss to her forehead, before she took the plate out of Johanna's hand and proceeded to feed the little girl.

* * *

Later that night, a very exhausted looking Leopold walked into the chambers, and his heart melted at the sight. Regina was propped up on one elbow, with her head resting on her hand; the other one softly running through Stella's hair, which was the only thing visible of the little girl, aside from her small fist that was clutching onto her mother's gown. He slowly and softly made his way over to the bed, and sat facing Regina, careful not to wake the sleeping child up.

"What did the physician say?" Regina asked. Stella had been so upset after he left, that she told him to speak to the King and she stayed behind to try and sooth her.

"Thankfully, the injuries aren't life threatening, a few bruises that will heal with time; that she was malnourished and underweight; and that she has remarkable fear of men" he recounted.

"Yes, I know that last one. She was crying the whole time he was examining her; expecting him to hurt her at any time. Her face would pale every time he touched a sore spot and she hissed in pain, immediately taking it back and saying that it doesn't hurt"

"He had agreed to write about his findings so we can bring this man to justice"

"I want him hanged" she hissed, without even stopping her movements through Stella's hair.

Leopold opened his mouth to say something, when the whimpering sentence that came from the child stopped him, and froze the blood in his veins.

"Mommy please come get me, I'll be a good girl"

He looked back up at Regina, who slid under the covers, slid her arm under the girl and pulled further into her, "I'm right here baby, I promise I won't leave you again" she sobbed into her hair, and the girl only rubbed her face in her mother's chest, and snuggled more into her.

"I will speak to my advisors tomorrow and see what can be done about this; he will be punished for this" he promised her and she only nodded in response.

* * *

**Alright, two long chapters in two days. Let me know what you guys think, and I'll try to update as fast I can.**


	8. Inner Demons Vs Real Ones

Stella tossed and turned in her bed, as she tried to summon sleep. Learning that her mother was married to the man who had made hell seem like a dream come true was depriving her of sleep or peace of mind. She tried to convince herself that he wasn't as bad, but she knew in her heart that he was probably even worse. No one ever noticed the signs because they were cursed, and therefore it had been going on for 20 years, without anyone protecting her. She was desperate to get her out, but she didn't know how. If no one ever noticed the signs, then there was probably no record of the many hospital visits she was sure she made. She thought about Cora, but judging by how she reacted earlier, she either didn't know about it, or was turning a blind eye to it. It was well past midnight when she finally drifted off into a restless sleep.

_She was standing in the middle of a large room, beautifully crafted curtains curved to the sides on top of white ones covering the windows; a rocking chair sat empty by the window, rocking softly back and forth with the breeze coming from the open window. She didn't recognize the room at all, but it certainly looked lavish; lavish and medieval._

_The screams of a crying infant made her turn around in search of the source of the sound; a crib lay a few feet away from her with horses, dolphins and stars hanging from the mobile above the baby's crib. She walked over to it, and found a baby thrashing in bed as she cried. She looked around for any clues as to where she was, when the large wooden doors to the room swung open and a very exhausted looking, but smiling Regina walked in. _

_Stella froze at the sight of her mother; who walked over to the crib and picked up the fussy infant, cradling her close to her chest._

"_Shhhhh, it's alright baby, mama's here" she cooed._

_She looked exhausted, her eyes red with remnants of sleep, and a radiant smile gracing her lips. Her hair was long, just like Stella remembered it back in the Enchanted Forrest, and she was letting it loose on her back. She giggled in amusement when the baby calmed down as soon as she was placed in her arms, her smile growing even more when small fingers wrapped around her index._

"_Did you just want a hug from mama?" she said softly, without even a hint of resentment that the child got her up and out of bed in the middle of the night for a cuddle; only love, warmth and joy._

_She chuckled when the infant only gurgled in response, and feathered soft kisses to her hand and forehead, "I missed you too baby"_

_Stella was standing a few feet away from both of them, tears of longing streaming down her face. She had no doubt that the baby in her mother's arms is her; and she longed to feel that warmth surround her again. She started walking towards the now softly singing Regina, and the sleepy infant, one arm wrapped around her middle, while the other was bent at the elbow so her hand muffled her sobs. _

_Suddenly Regina lifted her head and looked at Stella, smiling softly at her as she brought one hand to caress her cheek, before she cupped it and used her thumb to wipe the tears away. Her hand slid down Stella's face, till it reached her neck. _

_Suddenly, Regina's soft brown eyes, hardened and her calm, loving features turned to ones of hate and anger, and she grabbed Stella by the neck and started choking her._

"_Did you really think that you can get away from me?" _

_Stella's eyes widened in horror; instead of her mother's soft voice, it was Travis's angry one. The choke hold started getting stronger, as Regina's small frame faded into Travis's large one. _

Stella shot up in bed, chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, and a layer of sweat covering her face and neck. Her eyes were wide with fear and panic, and they moved wildly around the room trying to determine if Travis really was there, or was it just another nightmare. Her heartbeat calmed a little when she only found Pandora standing on her bed and looking at her questioningly. She threw herself back on the bed, as she tried to calm her breathing, only for Pandora to snuggle into her. She put her big head right under Stella's over her chest and got as close as possible to Stella as she can without actually climbing on top of her owner.

Stella felt safe again when Pandora was like that; she knew that the grey husky wasn't fond of Travis and she knew that as long as she had her, he won't be able to touch her.

This caused the idea that her mother was left unprotected with him to come unwelcomed into her mind; which caused her heart to twist in pain and the tears and sobs to break past her walls. She wrapped her arms around the husky's large body and buried her face into its fur as she cried her heart out. She felt helpless beyond imagination; and alone. Her mother was so close to her and yet so far away. She missed her; she missed the warmth and love she felt while in her arms. She hadn't felt them since that damned, fateful day, 20 years ago.

* * *

**FTL-20 Years Ago.**

"There has to be something we can do" Leopold bellowed, as he turned around to face Claude.

"Leopold, you need to calm down" Regina stated, "yelling is not going to solve anything"

Leopold opened his mouth to say something, when the doors opened and in walked Granny along with Red.

"What did he say?" Regina asked frantically.

"That there is no way to break the curse and no way to stop it unless someone was to take it away from Cora; he refused to tell us how he got to Wonderland or how she got back here" Red replied.

"She's here?" David now asked.

"Yes" Granny breathed.

"Then how come she didn't barge into the castle?" Leopold wondered.

"Stella" was all Regina said.

"What about a way to shield ourselves from it?" Leopold wondered.

Granny and Red only shook their head remorsefully at him in response, a solemn expression on both their faces.

"I don't understand, why is she doing this?" David barked in frustration.

"To punish me" Regina dead panned, "this whole thing is about me, and everyone else is getting caught in the cross fire, including our daughters"

"But why?"

"Because I am happy; I found happiness and peace of mind" Regina whispered, "Where's Stella?"

"With Snow, but I don't know where exactly" David answered her, and she only nodded at him in response as she left the room.

She walked fast down the corridor, she had no idea where she was heading, but she didn't care. She had to find her daughter; she had to explain it all to her. She knew her mother well, and she knew that she will separate them; and she didn't want her little girl to think that she did something wrong. Tears of pain streamed down her cheeks as the deep sense of despair and helplessness took over; she failed to protect her child once more and now she was going to be punished for something she had no hand in.

A sound pulled her out of her troubled thoughts; a sound that never failed to bring a smile to her face, and fill her heart with warmth, even now. It was the sound of her daughter's contagious laugh, carefree and filled with joy; just the way it was supposed to be.

She walked over to the slightly cracked door, and managed to slip inside unnoticed by her daughter and step-daughter, who were both sitting on the couch. Stella was laughing hysterically in Snow's arms, as Snow read to her out of a book, changing the tone of her voice with each character and to fit each situation.

Stella's relationship with Snow had helped Regina move past the grudge she held for the brunette princess; Snow had apologized profusely over and over again to Regina, and when she saw how great she was with Stella, she was finally able to forgive her. Snow never made Stella feel like she wasn't her baby sister. She doted on her, helped calm down her fears, and played games with her.

Her eyes now landed on her daughter's red face, as she tried to catch her breath. She couldn't believe how much she had changed; her face had a healthy pink color to it, a far cry from the pale one she had when they first found her 3 years before. Her eyes had finally lost that raw fear and pain look in them; and now had a healthy glint to them.

She had no idea how long she stood quietly in the doorway, observing how her daughter interacted with Snow and lost in her own thoughts, before her daughter's squeal pulled her back to earth. Her eyes focused again in time to see her daughter running towards her, and she crouched down in time to catch her. Even though she was no longer the light weighted five year old, Regina still stood up with her daughter balanced on her hip. Her arms wrapped tight around her small frame, as she buried her face in her long, ebony locks.

Her hold on her wasn't one of greeting, it was one of farewell. She knew that soon enough her mother would rip her baby away from her again, and even if they were to end up in the same place; she probably won't even recognize her. She could feel Stella's arms wrapping just as tight around her neck, and her face nuzzling into its crook.

"Why did the meeting take so long?" Stella mumbled into her neck.

"I'm sorry, baby" she whispered apologetically. She knew how much Stella hated those meetings because they took her away. Even though it was now three years later, the one thing that didn't fade away was how attached Stella was to her.

She felt Leopold's hand on her back, and knew that they have to tell their eight year old, that she might not see them again anytime soon, if not ever.

"You know I love you, right?" she managed to say past the lump in her throat, her voice catching on the last two letters as she nearly sobbed into Stella's hair.

Stella pulled back a little and her brown eyes met those of her mother's, "Mama, what's wrong?" she asked, as she used her hand to try and cup her mother's cheek.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Stella sat on the hood of her car, her knees bent so her feet were flat on the hood, and her arms resting on her knees as she gazed out at the ocean. It was a windy day, but she was enjoying how the air kept slapping her in the face and carried her hair with it; she only wished that it can take all of her worries away as well.

The nightmare the night before had rattled her up; she hadn't had them in years, since before the curse. She didn't have them when she came to this world, she only had them for a few months after her mother found her; and unlike last night, she was never alone. Her mother was always there, her soft brown eyes assuring her that she was safe and loved; her arms as they wrapped around her provided the physical shield she needed. She would always try to curl up against her mother's body, and try to be as small as she could, as if she wanted to use her body to hide from the world. And Regina never complained, she would only curl up around her, providing her with the cover she so desperately needed.

She hadn't felt that safety or warmth in years, since the last time she was in her mother's hand before the smoke engulfed them and she found herself on the side of a strange looking road.

Regina had explained the curse to her, and made sure to stress on the point that it was not her fault. She had thrown herself at her mother, wanting to be in her arms for as long as possible. The ground shook beneath their feet, and they saw a dark purple cloud of smoke approaching them. She tightened her hold around her mother's neck, as the latter whispered words of love into her hair, as well as apologies, before it all went dark. She could feel it before she saw it; the coldness of the new world. Her mother was gone, and so was her father; she was all alone.

She went back to those cold, dark nights in foster care; when she would cry herself to sleep. almost every adult she met told her that her mother abandoned her, and that she was not coming back for her, that it would be best if she just moved on. But she knew better, how could she believe them when the last thing she heard her mother say was 'I love you baby, please don't ever forget that'? How could she believe that her mother left her on the side of a road on a winter's night when the warmth that she felt from her was the only thing keeping her going at the moment? Sometimes when she would close her eyes, moments before she would drift off to sleep, she would feel it. Her mother's arms around her, the warmth and love that could only belong to her.

She was pulled out of her troubled thoughts by the ringing of her phone, she wiped the few tears that had made their way down her cheeks without her permission, before she pulled it out of her pocket to check the ID. Once she saw who it was, she cleared her throat and picked up, " Hey" she greeted.

"Hey yourself, what's wrong?" a man, in his early thirties, responded. He had brown hair and was wearing a black suit.

"Nothing's wrong, everything is perfectly fine"

"Sarcasm, all you're missing is a bottle of your famous apple cider and I'd say you're about to rip out hearts" he joked.

"She's married to him" was all she could say, as the tears came back.

"What?"

"My mother is married to the man who had no problem beating around a two year old" she choked.

"Oh my God, Stell, I'm so sorry"

"Unless you're the jackass she's married to, or the heartless witch who cast the curse, I don't see how you have anything to be sorry for"

"Is he still the same?"

"Yeah, he hit on me at the bar the night before I found out. So I guess we can add, cheating bastard to his list of merits" she remarked sarcastically.

"Does Cora know?" he wondered.

"Yeah, she does" she replied.

"What are you gonna do?" he asked.

"I don't know, there is no record of any injuries of course. And neither Joseph nor James can do anything unless there are evidence."

"Joseph and James?" he repeated.

"Claude and David"

"Claude; as in the head of the guards who stood outside of your room for almost a year because that was the only way you would fall asleep?"

"One and the same" she chuckled, "he's different here though, he's not the man I knew. Cora really did a good job in alienating mom"

The man on the other end opened his mouth to respond when the door to his office swung open and a blonde woman, also in a suit, walked in.

"Stella, can we continue this later?" he asked.

"Yeah, call me when you're done" she replied, before hanging up.

Her mind immediately drifted off to her escape from Travis. She had cried on her bed for hours after she heard him leave; her stomach and back hurt, and every time she tried to move, it made it worse. She tried to understand why he hates her so much, and why is he always angry but couldn't. The sun was starting to set, and she knew she had to go out now, or else he will come back and find her just like he left her, and all hell will break loose. She used her arms to push herself off the bed, before she wrapped one of them around her middle to try and stop the pain; the other one she used for support as she made her way out of the house. She limped all the way to the water pump, but was unable to get any water from it. Every time she tried to push down, her stomach and chest would hurt and she would scream in pain. She knew there was a river near the house where she can wash up, so she started making her way over to it. No sooner did the cottage disappear from her view, did she hear his drunken voice as he sang to the top of his lungs. She didn't know what came over her, but she found her legs sprinting in the opposite direction of the house without even slowing down for fallen tree logs. She didn't know how long she ran for, before she finally realized that not only was she far enough, but also lost.

She knew if she had turned around then and tried to find her way back home, that he might've killed her when she walked through the door, so she just kept going in any direction. She was exhausted, hungry, thirsty and in a great deal of pain; which is why she didn't see that where her foot will land was actually the edge to down slope. The sand gave away, and she was tumbling down the hill before she could even grab onto something. When she finally came to a stop at the bottom she heard the loud screech of horses, and the loud yell of a man.

She opened her eyes, and when she saw a man dressed in armor heading her way, she immediately sprung to her feet and made a quick escape, only to be caught by him. She screamed, squirmed and begged him to let her go, and only stopped at the sound of a woman. A sound that she only heard in her dreams, telling her that she was perfect and loved. The guard turned around, and she saw the source of the sound, and she couldn't believe that it was the woman from her dreams.

She had been dreaming of her for as long as she can remember; smiling at her, looking at her with such love that it baffled her why she left her in the first place, and always telling her that she loved her and that she was perfect. She ran towards her, and didn't care how much her back and stomach hurt when she crashed into the woman's arms, since all of it melted away in the warmth said arms provided. She wrapped her arms around her neck and buried her face there, trying to hide herself from the world. She was scared of the guards around them, but somehow she knew her mother wouldn't let them take her.

That faith in her mother never faltered throughout her life, not even when everybody believed that she was abandoned. They called her crazy, amnesiac, and traumatized; but she knew better. She knew her mother didn't leave her, she was taken away. And now she found out that the woman responsible has her living with the man who had made her life a living hell before.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

Regina could feel the sun on her face, but still refused to open her eyes. She was afraid that if she did, last night would turn out to be a dream. That fear only took three seconds to disappear as she felt a hot breath on her hand, and how sore her side was from sleeping on it all night. She knew that it was probably well past sunrise and her suspicions were confirmed, when her eyes landed on Leopold's empty side.

She now bent her head a little to look at the girl who was sleeping soundly on her side, with her back pressed up against her, as she clutched onto her hand and arm. She looked up at the sound of light footsteps, and found Leopold tiptoeing into the room.

"Good morning" she greeted, and he chuckled softly in response.

"Morning? It's almost noon" he corrected.

"Oh my god, that late?"

"Yes, but I told the maids to let you two be; I know it was a long night"

"Longer than you can imagine" she remarked.

"Did she mumble it again?"

"Over a hundred times" she replied.

"Why didn't you tell Snow about Daniel?" he decided that he wouldn't beat around the bush. He didn't ask her the night before because he saw how exhausted she was, but he wanted to know and there was no time like now.

"What good would it have done?" she countered.

"Why didn't you at least tell me that she was the one who told Cora?"

"I didn't want you to think that I was blaming her"

"But you did" he stated.

"Yes, I did" she deadpanned, " I resented her for it, I fought against it every day for the past 5 years to make sure that I don't succumb to the feeling. And Stella's disappearance wasn't helping"

"But you didn't succumb to it, you fought it. You were always wonderful with her; she never knew anything was amiss. I don't know how you did it" he had spent a good portion of the night before thinking about what Regina did and the more he thought about it, the more respect he had for her.

"I did at times, that's why I would ask to go to my childhood home; to escape. Sometimes I would be overwhelmed with the need to tell her what happened, just so that I can see some remorse in her eyes. And sometimes I would resent having to be around her" she decided that she wasn't going to sugar coat it, or lie to him. She was expecting suppressed rage or even disappointment, but only found assurance and understanding.

"But you never let it win, you fought it and you won. The girl who fell in love with her stable boy won; and that is what makes you a great mother Regina. Even though she hurt you beyond imagination, you still spared her feelings" he declared.

"Well, the fact that you weren't a jerk helped. You allowed me time to heal, and you let me deal with Stella's disappearance any way I felt fit. If you had been different, believe me this would've had a very different outcome. I turned to dark magic to try and numb the pain, and it nearly destroyed me. I learned enough to destroy lives with; and believe me I would catch myself fantasizing about doing it. I guess, the fact I wasn't just a trophy wife, a figurine to have on your arm to you and a nanny to Snow helped me feel like I was worth something"

"You are worth more than you give yourself credit Regina, and the little girl in your arms is living proof"

"Thank you"

"No need, I mean it"

"Did you meet with the advisors?" she steered the conversation back to the issues at hand.

"Yes, they think we should wait before we distribute posters" he replied.

"Why?" she wondered.

"Well, to lure him out. If he doesn't know that we are out for his head, then he might start looking for her and just make our job easier"

"But he will be on guard when he knows that she is with us" she countered.

"Well, we won't tell the people that she is back. The physician thinks it might be a good idea to give her some time to heal, before we announce it to the kingdom and hold celebrations in her honor" he explained.

"So if he doesn't even know that she is found, let alone by us…" she trailed off.

"Then he might just announce himself to us" he finished.

* * *

**Here's a long chapter for your enjoyment ladies and gentlemen. Sorry for the wait, but things were kind of hectic.**

**Let me know what you all think. Reviews make me very happy.**

**Thank you too all who read, followed, favorited and of course reviewed; greatly appreciated.**


	9. Wanted

Regina walked into the diner, and sighed in frustration. She had overslept that morning, and didn't have time to pack lunch, so she decided to have it at Granny's. But it seemed that every resident in Storybrooke had the exact same thought; the diner was packed and there wasn't a single empty table. The room had gone quiet when she entered; after all she was their cold and strict mayor. She kept up the façade and walked over to an empty booth at the end of the diner, or so she thought.

"Mrs. Nolan" she exclaimed in surprise, once she spotted the brunette school teacher slumped in the booth she previously thought was unoccupied.

"Madame Mayor" an equally surprised Mary Margret answered.

"I'm sorry, I thought this booth was empty" Regina explained.

"It's not a problem, you can join me if you want; Granny's is usually busy during lunch hour" Mary Margret offered with a kind smile.

"I can see that" Regina said in frustration, "Thank you for the offer but I don't want to ruin your lunch; I am sure James will be joining you soon"

"Actually he won't; he has a lot of paperwork, so it's just me today. And besides, you can't eat standing up" Mary Margret countered.

"Well, I can take it back to the office" Regina suggested.

"There is a reason why you came here for lunch today instead of ordering, and if I had to guess I would say it was to escape the office for a little bit" May Margret argued, and Regina chuckled as she rocked her head in agreement.

"Well, are you sure I won't be bothering you?" she asked.

"Not at all" Mary Margret assured her, she was a bit surprised that the usual stoic mayor was this insecure. She herself had only talked to her on a few occasions; and they were mostly business related, and maybe a few greetings in the street. That was as far as it had gone; but if she was to believe all that is said about her, then she is cold, over confident and distant. But that was not the woman who just slid into the seat on the other side of the table. The longest they had been in one place, socially, was when Ruth invited her and Travis to join them for dinner when Stella moved in. She seemed sweet and nice, but she also seemed distant and closed up.

Her trail of thoughts got interrupted when Ruby walked over to them, "Madame Mayor" she greeted.

"Hello, Ruby" Regina offered her a small smile in greeting, "Can I have a Chicken Caesar salad please?"

"Sure, coming right up"

"So, you look like you're ready to sleep right where you're sitting" Mary Margret commented, and Regina chuckled.

"I am, I didn't get much sleep last night; and work has been crazy lately"

"Everything alright?" she inquired.

'Far from' was what Regina wanted to scream, but how could she tell the school teacher, whom she barely talked to, that she is terrified of falling asleep in her husband's arms? How can she tell her that she loathes going home at the end of a work day? That she spends most of her nights under the shower, scrubbing herself over and over again and still feels dirty everywhere he touched and kissed her? How can she tell her that she spends the night crying, because she can't do it once the sun comes up?

"Yeah, I have a bunch of contracts to look into, not to mention a mountain of budget reports" she decided to go with that instead.

"Can't you get someone to help you with them?" she offered.

"That will stress me even more, because I would have to interview people; and then put them under supervision for a while before I hand them the budget reports. And I don't think that there is anyone in this town who has ever done one" she grumbled.

"Why don't you ask Stella?" Mary Margret wondered.

Regina opened her mouth to answer, when her mother interrupted, "Regina?!"

"Hello Mother"

"Why are you here?" she was surprised, but her voice was also reprimanding.

"I came here to eat like everyone else" Regina answered, thinking that it was obvious.

Cora opened her mouth to speak, when Mary Margret interrupted, "would you like to join us Mrs. Mills?"

Cora contemplated it for a few seconds, and decided that she was indeed in need for a meal; and there wasn't any other place; not to mention that she wanted to keep an eye on her daughter. And so,she grunted before she slipped in beside Regina.

Mary Margret waited till Cora was settled, before she turned her attention back to Regina, "So how about Stella?"

Cora's temper flared at the mention of the spine in her rosy life, "what about her?" she asked before Regina got a chance to answer.

"She can help out with the budget reports the mayor has piled up on her desk" Mary Margret shrugged.

"What makes you think she knows how to do budget reports?" Cora almost snapped.

Mary Margret looked at her incredulously, "she's a partner in one of the biggest multi-billion dollar corporations; I think she can find her way around a budget report. I am sure the ones here will seem like the weekly ones she does" Her tone was almost snide, and proud of the girl's accomplishments and that irritated Cora even more.

When she looked over to Regina, she had to suppress the growl when she saw the contemplating expression on her face. It's not that she didn't want someone to help her daughter; well maybe it was. But what she _really_ didn't want was Regina working with her own daughter. After all, it might trigger something and she can't take that risk.

"You don't think I'd be asking for too much?" Regina wondered.

"No, you can offer to pay her if that will make you feel better"

"Well, that might work. But I haven't actually seen her lately, is she okay?" her tone betrayed the worry she held for the girl, the inexplicable worry, and Cora's blood ran cold. She didn't miss the worry either, which means that just like Stella said; Regina's heart recognized her daughter, and she did not like this one bit. She had been in Storybrooke for six weeks, had about three encounters with Regina, but the effects were already happening.

"Yeah, she's been in Boston for the past two days; she had to make a few trips there in the past two weeks" Mary Margret explained.

And no sooner than the words left her mouth, Stella walked into the diner. Snow had her back to the door, but Regina and Cora spotted her, and Regina waved her over. Stella smiled back at Regina, before she made her way over.

"Speak of the devil" Mary Margret teased, and Cora couldn't help the scoff, 'you have no idea' she thought.

"You were talking about me?" she inquired, as she slid next to her.

"Yeah, I sort of need to ask you something" Regina answered, and Cora nearly choked on her water, 'she was actually going to ask'.

"Sure" she replied, as she shrugged off her jacket.

"Well, I need your help"

"With?"

"Budget reports" Regina answered, biting her lip and expecting an exasperated sight; only for Stella to smile reassuringly at her.

"No problem, when do you want me to come to the office?" she inquired.

"Today?" Regina said hopefully.

Stella chuckled, "sounds good; I just need to eat something, shower and I'll meet you at the office"

* * *

Regina walked back into her office, and a gasp escaped her lips when she found a livid Travis sitting in her chair. She froze in her spot from the fear, as she eyed him warily.

"T…T…Travis?" she stuttered.

"Welcome back, Madame Mayor" he hissed.

"W…wh…what are you doing here?" she stammered.

"Well, I came here half an hour ago, expecting to find you here, since you always eat lunch at the office; only I didn't find you and you didn't answer your phone" he listed, as he got up and started approaching her.

Regina gulped, lunch hour wasn't over yet so her secretary wasn't even back, and Travis knew that, which means he might hurt her without a fear of someone seeing it. And she knew exactly why he came during the break; it wasn't the first time that he had barreled into her office and basically raped her. She didn't know whether to be relieved that she wasn't at the office during lunch, or horrified; she did escape the fate but she had a feeling an even worse one awaited her now.

"I forgot it here; you didn't say you were coming" she spoke softly, trying to make sure she doesn't aggravate him.

"And do I need to make an appointment to see my own wife?" he growled.

"No of course not" she had barely gotten the words out of her mouth, before his hand contacted with her cheek.

She staggered a few steps backwards from the force of the blow, her hand immediately flying to her throbbing cheek, "you didn't even bother to call" he barked, as he moved closer to her.

He had barely taken a step towards her when a very familiar growl stopped him, accompanied by the familiar sight of the grey husky. She basically leaped over Regina and stood protectively in front of her, teeth showing and eyes blazing with anger. He pulled his leg back, about to kick the husky away, when a very angry voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you"

He looked over Regina's shoulder and found a seething Stella standing in the doorway, her eyes were dangerously narrow and dark, her mouth set in a straight line, and her jaw tightly clenched, same for her fists.

Regina couldn't have been more grateful for Stella or Pandora, even if she tried. She looked back at Travis, and saw how red his face was. He was seething and his chest heaved with angry breaths, especially that Stella didn't even seem like she was flustered or intimidated by him.

He took a few threatening stances towards Stella, expecting her to back up like most people do when he does. His temper flared when she not so much as bated an eyelash; she held her grounds and her eyes were daring him to make a move. He was also shocked when he turned around and found that Pandora had positioned herself between him and Regina once more, and not in front of Stella; apparently knowing that her owner was more than capable of protecting herself.

Deciding that attacking Stella will do him no good, he marched towards the door, only to freeze when Stella-who was blocking it- didn't even move to make room for him. He didn't know what it was about this girl, but as much as he hated to admit it; she intimidated him. And so he wisely decided that he shouldn't shove past her, and instead squeezed out of the door.

Regina breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he left, and turned around to try and catch her breath. She leaned on her desk for support, and only looked up when a hand was placed on her back.

Stella's heart shattered when she saw the pain and fear in her mother's eyes; she knew them better than anybody, and she knew what it meant to live with Travis. Her chest tightened, when she now saw the hand print on her mother's cheek.

"Thank you" was all Regina said, and Stella had to fight really hard not to sob.

"How often does this happen?" she decided that this was her only chance to try and get her mother out; she couldn't act like she already knew, she had to play this right.

"It's not as bad as it seems, he was just stressed out and worried. I forgot my phone here and he didn't know where I was" Regina was quick to say, and Stella's heart constricted.

"You think that this is your fault?" she asked incredulously.

"It's not one's fault, it's stress" she assured her.

"This isn't normal, this isn't right. If he's abusing you, you need to tell Joseph or James, he needs to be stopped" Stella nearly pleaded, and Regina only looked away.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

"He's not even looking for her?!" Leopold bellowed.

"No your majesty, we didn't find any posters regarding missing children" Claude answered calmly, "and the villagers said no one was asking about a missing child" he finished. He hated the asshole himself to great lengths, but he kept his calm. The King was currently furious, so he sure wasn't keeping his head straight.

"And you searched the forest near where she was found?" he asked.

"Yes, but you have to keep in mind, your majesty, that she was terrified so she might have ran a larger distance than she imagined"

"She is supposed to be his daughter, and he is not even bothering to look for her?!" Leopold barked.

"Well, it has been six weeks and she is only five of age; he probably thinks…."Claude cut himself off before he finished the sentence, but judging by the look on Leopold's face, he knew what he meant.

"He thinks she's dead, or maybe even hoping that she is; so that she wouldn't tell on him" he finished in horror.

"I think so" Claude agreed.

"So what now?"

"We need to draw a portrait of him and put it all over the kingdom" Claude replied regretfully.

"How do you expect a five year old to draw a portrait?!"

"We will get an artist and she can describe him" Claude suggested.

"She is five years old, she is barely sleeping through the night as it is already; and you want me to sit her down for hours and have her describe the man who terrorized her?!" His tone was desperate, and it showed how much it pained him what Stella went through. Claude had to suppress the smile at the situation; Stella wasn't his by blood, but he was the one who put every resource at his disposal into finding her; and he was the one who was now being torn apart by the pain she went through. The irony was that Regina's own mother, her flesh and blood, was the one to cause the pain in the first place, or at least start it.

"We can take her back to where she was found, and see if she can recognize a path that she walked; then trace it back to where he is?" he offered.

Leopold shook his head vigorously, "NO, I will not have her anywhere near him"

"She will have to see any man we capture to make sure that we have the right one" Claude reminded him.

"Then and only when he is behind bars" Leopold interjected.

"Then I am afraid a portrait is our only option" Claude declared regretfully.

Leopold sighed in frustration before he left the room, and headed towards the library. This was Stella's favorite room, and where they spent most of their time, aside from the stables. It appeared that some things were genetic; she was great with the horses and absolutely adored them. He had asked Regina not to get her a horse yet, and that he wants to get her one for her birthday.

His suspicions were proven correct, when he heard Stella's hysterical laughter.

"No, mama, that's not how you draw an apple" he heard her squeal through her laughter, as he walked into the library.

She was sitting on Regina's lap behind a desk, with a parchment and some oil paint in jars in front of them, giggling hysterically as she tried to stop her mother from completing the apparently wrong drawing of an apple. He hated himself for what he was about to do to her, knowing that the mere mention of this guy will ruin the happy mood that she is in, let alone having to remember him. Snow was sitting in a nearby lavish armchair reading a book, and beaming at the young girl in Regina's lap, who had a face splitting grin on her face.

"It's not?" Regina feigned ignorance.

"NO" the girl squealed, "that's a banana" she corrected.

"Why don't we ask Snow?" Regina suggested. She was trying to see the girl in a new light so she can put a stop to the resentment she feels; she still had a long way to forgiveness, but she was at least trying.

"Well" Snow said, as she got up from her seat, and leaned over the parchment, pretending to take a few moments to contemplate. "I'm afraid I have to agree with Stella, it looks like a banana to me"

Stella clapped her hands triumphantly, and Regina opened her mouth in mock shock.

"If you don't believe us, ask Daddy" the girl suggested, and Leopold's breath hitched in his throat. This was the first time she had referred to him as such; she usually avoided referring to him at all. His throat clamped up from the emotions when he saw the lack of distrust and doubt in her eyes as she looked at him. She had never been wary around Regina, Snow or Johanna, or any other woman for that matter, but men were a different story.

He still hadn't even informed the rest of the kingdom of her return, because he didn't want to push anything on her. Especially that noblemen and kings from adjacent lands will probably come to offer their congratulations. So he decided to take it one step at a time; find the bastard who kept her away and then celebrate. Hopefully by then she won't be so terrified any more.

He walked over to the table and bent over it to take a good look at the parchment; he pursed his lips as he mused over it for a few seconds before he looked back up at the expectant faces. He smiled a little at the excitement in Stella's eyes, and fought the urge to lean forward a bit more and kiss her forehead. He still hadn't even held her since her return, he didn't want to push her.

"I think you are right, it is a banana" he finally declared, and laughed when she turned her gloating smile onto her mother.

"See?" she gloated.

"Good job baby" Regina praised.

"Father, is everything alright?" Snow asked, once she noticed the look on his face.

"Yes, just a bit of exhaustion" he assured her, before he looked over at Regina; who immediately knew something else was up.

"Regina, can I speak to you for a moment?" he requested, and she nodded.

"Sweetie, why don't you sit with Snow while I talk to your father?" she suggested, and the girl only nodded in response before she moved off her lap.

Leopold led her to the far end of the library, to make sure that they were out of earshot.

"Leopold what is happening?" she asked, she did not like the look on his face and had a sinking feeling that she wasn't going to like what he will say either.

"We can't find him" was all he said. He had racked his brain as he walked to the library looking for a way to tell her that the bastard wasn't even trying to find Stella, and maybe even hoping that she is dead. He knew if he told her that they couldn't find him, that she would catch on to the hidden message. His suspicions were confirmed when her eyes widened in horror.

"He's not even looking for her?" she whispered in horror and his silence was all the answer she needed.

She pressed her fingers to her mouth, to muffle the sobs before they escaped her lips and turned around to look at the sweet, five year old who had a serious look on her face, as she looked through the pages of Snow's book.

"He probably thinks she died from the cold or maybe eaten by some animal" she growled quietly.

"Claude and I reached the same conclusion; we have no other choice" he agreed.

Her head whipped back to him in shock, "you're not suggesting that we let him get away with it?" she asked.

"No, of course not. What I meant was that we have no choice but to have Stella describe him to an artist so we can make posters" he explained.

Regina shook her head helplessly at him, "No, I can't put her through this" she objected softly.

"Neither can I, but we have no choice; otherwise he will get away with it" he reminded her softly, and she only closed her eyes, pained by his words; and even more by the fact that they are true. She felt him move closer to her, as he rubbed her arms a few times in an effort to comfort her. She leaned forward, and allowed her head to drop on his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her as he rubbed circles on her back. He cared for her, and it pained him to see her hurting; but it wasn't love. At least not of the romantic kind; she was more like his younger sister. He felt responsible for her, and a strange need to protect her ever since he learned the truth about Daniel.

Their embrace lasted a few seconds, before she sighed in frustration and pulled back. They both looked over to where Stella and Snow were, and stood quietly observing them. They were both relishing in the content look Stella had, since they knew they were about to rip it away.

Regina took slow, unsteady steps towards the duo, and crouched down in front of Stella. Snow noticing the look both Regina and her father had, put the book away immediately and looked worriedly at them.

"Stella, we need to talk to you about something" Regina said softly, and Snow felt how stiff the little girl had become.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

"No, no sweetie you didn't; but the man who kept you from us did, and we need to find him" Regina replied, as she took her small hand into hers and rubbed the back of it.

Stella's eyes immediately filled with fear and she shook her head vigorously, "No, I don't want you to find him"

"Why not?" Leopold asked.

"Because I don't want him to know where I am; he'll take me away"

"Sweetheart, I will not let him take you away" Regina assured her, but it only made it worse.

"NO" she cried, "I don't want him to hurt you, if you try to stop him he will hurt you" her voice was nearly hysterical.

"He is not going to hurt anyone" Regina pressed, and Stella only leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her neck in response. Regina wrapped hers in response and stood up with her.

"I don't want him to know where I am or that I am with you" she mumbled into her mother's neck.

"Baby, I promise you, he will not take you away and he won't hurt any of us" Regina tried to assure her, but felt her shake her head.

"Stella" Leopold called gently, as he now stood next to Regina. She craned her head to look at him and he nearly gasped at the amount of fear and pain he saw in her eyes. Nobody should feel like this, let alone a five year old.

"What he did to you was wrong, and unacceptable; and if we don't make him pay, he will think that it was right" he said softly.

"But what if he hurt any of you so he can take me?" she asked.

"He will not be able to, you saw how many guards we have; and your mother and I are very skilled with a sword" he replied.

"Really?"

"Yes, he will not hurt you or us" he assured her.

"What about Snow?" she asked.

"I can take care of myself too, sweetheart" Snow now spoke. She was standing on the other side of Regina, and Stella had to pull back so she can look at her.

"You promise he won't take me away?" she now looked into her mother's eyes.

"Yes, I promise you he will never lay a finger on you again" she answered.

"Or any of you?" she pressed.

"Or any of us"

Stella nodded and put her head back onto Regina's shoulder.

"We need your help with that Stella" Leopold informed her.

"How?" she asked, without looking up.

"Well, we don't even know his name"

"Travis Braddock" she whispered.

"Do you know where he works?" Regina asked, and she felt her shake her head against her chest.

"Alright, how about what he looks like? Do you think you can describe him so we can paint a portrait?" Leopold asked.

"Um, I don't have to describe him" she mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"Is all magic bad?" she asked instead.

Regina and Leopold were both baffled by the change of subject but decided to answer her anyways.

"No, sweetie, it depends on how you use it" Regina answered her.

"Why?" Leopold asked.

"Because I can use it, and I can make you a portrait of him" she declared, and Regina's heart sank.

"Y…y….you have magic?" she stammered, and felt how the girl started shaking slightly in her arms.

"Yes, is that bad?" she asked in fear.

"No, honey it's not. As long as you use it for good" Regina assured her.

"I only use it to make sure that he doesn't get mad at me" she mumbled.

She didn't know how she could have magic at that age; she had to go to the Dark One to learn it and she had barely managed to get out. The mere thought that her baby was being taught magic by this monster was terrifying.

"That would be good" Leopold exclaimed.

Stella only sighed in response and stretched out her palm, a few seconds later a puff of dark, red smoke appeared in her hand and when it cleared, a parchment was rolled up in it.

Leopold wasted no time in taking it out of her hand and opening it; inside was the face of a man. He turned it around for Stella to look, and judging by the horrified look she gave him, this was him.

"How will you explain it?" Regina asked him.

"You can say that I drew it; don't give it to them now" Snow suggested, and Leopold nodded.

"You did great sweetheart" Leopold now complimented, as he stroked her cheek gently. He gave Regina and Snow a small smile before he turned around and headed for the door. Maybe he won't give it to them now, but he still had to make sure they know what to do once they have it; and he also had a kingdom to run.

He turned around one last time before he left the room and his heart shattered at the sight; Regina was now sitting on the armchair once more, with Stella curled up in her arms. She had one hand cradling her head against her chest, as her thumb kept brushing the hairline right above her ear, the other one wrapping around her small frame. Stella had a distant look in her eyes and a broken expression on her face, as she played with her mother's necklace.

* * *

Later that day, Regina walked into the meeting room and found him staring at a piece of paper.

"You can look at it all you want, it won't speak" she quipped and he chuckled.

"I wish it could, it would save us a lot of trouble" he said, as he turned the paper around so she can see the writing.

It was a poster, with an empty space for the drawing and the words 'wanted for crimes against the King and Queen' written under it.

"I will give them the poster tomorrow so they can copy it, and we will put it throughout the land"

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Stella walked through the cannery, in the direction of the main office, per the instructions of one of the workers. She heard his voice as he barked into the phone, and ignored his secretary when she tried to stop her, and barreled through.

He turned around when he heard the door slam against the wall, his widening at the sight of Stella.

"Wha..." he started to talk, when she interrupted.

"Don't say a word; I'll be doing the talking here" she hissed, "if you so much as move on hair on her head, or even look at her in a way that I don't like; YOU WILL REGRET IT" she growled through gritted teeth.

* * *

**Here's the next chapter you guys, let me know what you think.**

**I changed Snow's age at the time of Stella's disappearance to 14 instead of 12 and also the fact that Stella lived in Boston and not New York. **

**Reviews make me update faster, so keep'em coming.**


	10. Peace Of My Heart

Stella had been driving for hours around the small town, trying to clear her head. Walking in on Travis when he was about to hit her mother shook her up badly, and who knows what she would have walked in on if she were a few minutes, maybe even seconds late. She had gone to his office and threatened him, which did make her feel a bit better; but she had to figure out a way to get her out.

She went to James, and talked to him off the record; he told her that he did notice some of the signs during the dinner party, but since Regina never filed a complaint, there is nothing he can do. He told her that she might be more open to the idea of pressing charges, now that she has a witness; and that it even might get Travis to back off.

She found herself on the outskirts of town, outside the cemetery. She took a close look around, and found only one mausoleum. She walked towards it, and immediately recognized the logo to belong to none other than Cora. She pushed the door open, and stepped in. A lingering smile graced her lips, and her eyes filled up with tears when she read the plaque.

'Henry Mills, beloved husband and father'

She had heard a lot about him from her mother, and was glad to see his tomb here; although it was a bit of a shock that it was. After all, she knew Cora didn't love him, so why would she bring his grave here?

She conjured up a bouquet of white roses, her favorite, and put it on the tomb, "I'll fix it, I promise" she whispered.

* * *

The sea spread out in front of her, seemingly endless under the dark sky. It was quiet and serene; a few ripples here and there, with the only sound being that of the small boats as they softly hit the side of the dock. She had no idea how long she stood there, just staring out into the sea, but it's not like someone was going to worry. She had already dropped Pandora off with Ruth, and told her that she will explore the town a little bit, and not to worry about her. Ruth had tried to convince her to take Pandora; but she refused. She wanted her to be close to Regina, just in case. Her heightened sense of hearing proved crucial today, since she started howling the second they pulled up in front of City Hall.

She had always enjoyed the sight of the water at night; the serene rippling effects and how the silver rays reflected onto the pitch black water calmed her down; and God knows she needed to keep a straight head if she was going to be of any use. She had no idea that there was a set of eyes watching her every move, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She took a few steps, so that now she was standing on the edge. 'The perfect opportunity' he thought, as he moved from his hiding spot, and inched closer to her.

She heard the floor boards creaking behind her, but didn't have time to turn around. Something heavy and metal connected with her head hard, and everything went black. The figure stood tall above her, watching as the blood trickled down the side of her face; before he pushed her off the dock and into the dark, deep water.

* * *

James and Mary Margret were taking a stroll down the streets of Storybrooke, when James's phone rang. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered, face paling immediately as soon as he heard the words that were spoken on the other end. Mary Margret looked worriedly at him, and his only answer was to grab her arm and pull her towards his truck.

They rushed into the hospital, and were met by a frantic Ruth, "They're refusing to tell me anything because I'm not related; but you're the deputy, I am sure they can tell you" she demanded hysterically.

"Mother, I need you to breathe, and calm down; I'll go see what I can find out" he ordered calmly, as he guided her to one of the chairs. Once she and Mary Margret settled down, he left to go find someone he can talk to.

"I told her to take Pandora, but she refused; said she grew up in the mean streets of Boston and that I was the one who needed the protection" Ruth rambled.

"Shhhhh, Ruth this isn't your fault. No one could've known that this will happen; this is Storybrooke for God's sake" Mary Margret soothed.

Ruth only shook her head, as more tears streamed down her cheeks, "I never should've let her leave at that hour"

"Ruth, she's stubborn, she wouldn't have listened" Mary Margret stated, and looked up at the sounds of footsteps.

She found a very pale looking James walking towards them, and judging by the look on his face; he did not have anything good to tell them.

"Oh God" Ruth exclaimed, immediately assuming the worse.

"Is she…" Mary Margret trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"She was found in the water by one of the local fishermen, there is no heartbeat and she's not breathing. They say that because her body temperature is so low, because of the water, her organs are in a hibernation state. They're trying to warm her up so they can bring her back." he explained.

"So she's going to be okay?" Ruth asked.

"They don't know; they are not sure if they will be able to bring her back; but she's not dead till she's warm and dead"

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

It had been well past midnight, when Regina finally slept; even though Stella and Leopold had long fallen asleep. Stella still murmured pleas in her sleep, but the nightmares were becoming less and less frequent. Mainly if Regina got up in the middle of the night for any reason what so ever. But the events of the previous day kept playing over and over again in her head; the most popular of all was how Stella had magic. She knew that the only person who has the answer is Rumplestiltskin, but she also knew that he will demand a price in return. She kept debating whether she should call for him and ask or not; but her curiosity got the best of her, as well as her fear for her child. He had already summoned her a week after Stella's return and she told him that she will cut all ties with him; she gave him back the book and told him that she has no use for magic anymore. But desperate times, call for desperate measures.

Luckily for her, Stella wasn't clutching on to her as she normally does, so she easily slipped from under the covers. She knew that Claude was standing right outside like he promised Stella, so she couldn't really leave that way. She closed her eyes and tried to remember everything she learned about teleportation, till she felt the familiar smoke engulf her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the library like she wanted.

"Rumplestiltskin, I summon thee" she almost hissed.

"I see you went back to your senses dearie" his irritating voice surprised her from behind.

"No I did not, I will not be requiring your services" she guaranteed.

"You just used magic and you were the one who called for me" he pointed out.

"I need to ask you a question, but first I need to know your price"

"About that daughter of yours" he stated, giggling at her paled face, "about how she has magic?" he continued.

"You knew she had magic?" she asked.

"Yes, when I summoned you last time, I sensed her magic all around you. And when I came close to her, I was proven correct"

Regina's eyes darkened, "You stay away from her"

"Not to worry dearie, even if I wanted to hurt her, I can't. I don't make a habit of hurting children, and she is very powerful"

"How? How does she have magic? Why is it so powerful?" she demanded.

"And what do I get out of it?" he inquired.

"What do you want?"

"The man you and the King are looking for, the one who hurt her" he stated and Regina nodded, "I want you to call for me once you capture him"

"Why?" she asked, confused.

"That is my business, dearie. Do we have a deal?"

Regina thought about it for a few moments, and saw no harm in it. On the contrary, if Rumple killed him, he will do them all a favor.

"Deal"

Rumple released his usual high-pitched, child-like giggle as he rung his fingers together, "Well, dearie; she is the product of true love, the most powerful magic of all; that does have its perks"

"She was born with it?"

"Yes she was, it's in her blood"

* * *

That was the last sentence that she remembered as she finally fell asleep, and it was the first thing that rang through her mind when she woke up the next morning. However all memories of the previous night evaporated from her mind when her eyes landed on the empty bed, the completely empty bed; not even Stella was in it. She didn't have time to contemplate the thought, before the hushed sounds of laughter reached her ears. Her back was to the balcony, and so she craned her neck around to face it. She could make out the outline of one figure; too big to be either Leopold or Stella.

She got out and walked slowly to the balcony, the sounds getting louder with every step she took; and she could clearly distinguish Stella's laugh and Leopold's voice as he whispered. She pushed the curtain to the side gently, careful not to make a sound to alert them of her presence. Her face lit up, as a beaming smile spread across her lips at the sight; Leopold had Stella balancing on his hip as he pointed to different places in the forest and talked about them.

"You know, someday when you're as good as your mama in riding horses; you'll escape from the guards that I will assign to protect you and run throughout this forest and have them chase you. Of course your mother will be throwing a temper tantrum, vowing to lock you up when you return, and maybe even threaten to kill Claude for letting you out of his sight, even though you and I know that it will not be his fault. But all of this will be forgotten the second you walk through the doors; she will suffocate you in hugs and kisses, and tries to get you to promise not to do it again. You will try to convince her that you can take care of yourself, and eventually agree to try and be safe. And that will happen every time you leave the castle, and poor me will be stuck in the middle" he whispered to her, all the while she is giggling hysterically, one hand over her mouth to try and suppress her laughter.

Regina's heart swelled at the sight, and she finally felt at peace. Stella hadn't even let Leopold touch her in the last six weeks, and now she was in his arms; giggling hysterically without a care in the world, as her father conspired with her. What amazed her the most was Leopold, more than Stella. Stella had no idea that she wasn't Leopold's, but he did. And yet; there he stood balancing the five year old on his hip as he cooked up plans with her, and made her laugh. He too had a happy, serene look on his face as he looked at the laughing girl.

"If she follows through with those words; it won't be Claude's head on the table" she finally decided to let them know of her presence.

Stella's head whipped around, and Regina couldn't help but smile wistfully at the gleam in her eyes.

"Uh-oh" was all Leopold said, as Stella rested her head on top of the hand on his shoulder. She gave her mother the most cute puppy face she could muster, "Hi"

Regina chuckled, as she approached the duo and leaned up to kiss her cheek, "hi baby"

"Good morning, sleeping beauty" Leopold teased, and she only grinned in response.

* * *

Later that day, she was sitting with Leopold at one of the tables in the garden, as they both watched Snow and Stella run after each other.

"Leopold" she called, and his response was to turn his head to look at her.

"I called Rumplestiltskin last night" she said, and when he didn't show any signs of recognition, she added, "The Dark One" at which his eyes widened.

"Excuse me?!" he breathed in disbelief.

"He was the one teaching me magic throughout those years" she confessed and he tilted his head to the side in slight disappointment.

"I just wanted to find her, and I thought that I can do it with magic. He was the most powerful wizard, and he was the one who taught my mother magic. I thought if I learned it from him as well, that I will be able to counteract whatever she did to bring her back" she blabbered.

"Regina, stop. I understand why you did it, I am just surprised that you wanted to learn magic from the man who was responsible for what your mother had become" he soothed.

"I know, but I saw no other choice. Anyways, a week after Stella returned, he summoned me and I told him that I no longer want to learn magic, and cut all ties with him"

"Then why did you call upon him last night?" he inquired.

"To ask him about Stella's magic" she answered.

"What did he say?"

"That she was born with it, it's in her blood"

"Did he explain why?"

Regina thought about the answer for a few moments, but decided not to tell him. If Stella had magic because she was the product of true love, then Snow should have it too. But she knew that Snow didn't, because Leopold and Eva weren't in love at the time. Just like her and Leopold, Snow was the one to bring her parents together. But she couldn't exactly tell him that.

"No"

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

After what seemed like centuries, but was only ninety minutes, Dr. Whale emerged from where he had disappeared with Stella, and headed towards them. James immediately sprung to his feet, alerting Mary Margret and Ruth to Whale, and they too followed suit.

"How is she?" Ruth inquired.

"She's alive, and normally I wouldn't say anything more; but seeing as how she will need a tremendous amount of support during recovery, I think I can make an exception." He replied.

"What do you mean? That doesn't sound good" Mary Margret stammered, already dreading the answer.

"Well, we were able to get her heart beating again once we brought her temperature back to normal, but it was too late for the baby"

James's mouth dropped open, Ruth fell silent , her face paling; and Mary Margret looked at him as if he sprung another head.

"W…w..What baby?" she stuttered.

"You didn't know?" he asked incredulously.

"Do those look like the faces of people who know?" Ruth snapped.

"She was at least 8 weeks pregnant"

* * *

Regina was fast asleep at her home, when she was suddenly jerked awake as Travis grabbed her arm and rolled onto her back. She barely had enough time to comprehend what is happening through the sleep fog, when she found him towering over her. One hand was pinning her arms above her head, the other pulling her night gown up her legs and thighs.

"You are mine" he hissed, "and no one will stop me from doing as I please with you; and if you open your mouth about any of this to any one, both of you will regret it"

Before she could even think of a reply, he thrust himself into her and she pushed her head backwards into the pillow, tears streaming down her face as she bit her lip to stop the screams from escaping them.

* * *

**Two chapters in two days. Let me know what you think please.**

**Thank you to all who reviewed, greatly appreciated.**

**Metope; especially for you hun ;)**


	11. Past And Present Sorrows

Regina's body ached all over but she didn't dare complain, or even let the pain show. She was curled up under the covers, trying her best to seem asleep till her husband's footsteps disappear from the room, and preferably the house. It was almost dawn by the time she had finally managed to fall asleep after what he did. It wasn't the first time that he practically raped her, but it was the worst. It was brutal, and painful; almost as if he was punishing her for something that she doesn't even know she did. She was sure bruises were starting to form and that she was going to be limping for a few days, not that anyone will care or even notice.

She had been thinking about the events of the previous day, about what Stella said. She had tried to convince her to leave him, to press charges, or even go to the hospital to get checked out. But as loud as Stella's voice was in her head, her mother's was louder. Telling her not to do anything that would jeopardize the image of the mayor and give anybody any ammunition to use against her, and throw her out of office. Her job and image came first; never mind everything else.

She finally heard his footsteps leaving the room, and descending the stairs. She opened her bloodshot eyes, and stared blankly at the wall. She was trying to remember the last time she felt happy, the last time she felt at peace. When did everything go to hell? When did Travis become like this? Why did he become like this? Why did she marry him to begin with?

Those were all questions that she couldn't find answers to, no matter how hard she tried. Her reverie was cut short by a familiar growl, and Travis's angry voice. She turned around in bed in time to see Pandora jumping on to it.

The grey husky's eyes were warm and Regina couldn't help but reach out and pet her, earning herself a nuzzle in the neck. To her surprise, the grey husky put each of her limbs on one of Regina's side, effectively trapping Regina within them, as if she is trying to let her know that she will protect her. She could swear that she saw remorse and sympathy in the husky's eyes, but shook her head in disbelief. How would a dog know what she went through? Let alone one who lived across the street.

She didn't know what it was about this dog that comforted her, or made her feel safe, but she didn't care. She longed to have someone care about her the way this dog apparently does, but knew that it was futile.

Her bliss was short lived, when Travis stormed into the room, only to freeze in his tracks when the husky's calm features changed into ones of anger. He could swear that he saw the dare in her eyes as she growled at him to come any closer. He really didn't like this dog, or its owner; and he didn't like that he had to tip toe because of them.

"Ruth is downstairs waiting to take this thing" he hissed, and the only response he got was the angry bark. He glared at the husky, who didn't back down, only glared back and growled even harder. He let out a frustrated groan of his own, as he backed away and stomped down the stairs and out of the house.

Regina smiled gratefully at the husky, who licked her cheek in response, "thank you" she whispered, as she rubbed the fur around her neck.

"Come on, let's get you back to Ruth" she remarked, as she got out of the covers, earning herself a moan of objection in response.

"Wait, why is Ruth the one who is waiting? Where's Stella?" she asked the husky, who once again moaned sadly.

Regina only furrowed her brows in confusion, as she pulled her robe around her and walked down the stairs with Pandora trailing behind.

"Ruth, sorry to keep you waiting" she apologized, as she pulled the slightly ajar door open all the way.

"Oh no, it's fine. Sorry about how she burst in like that, I don't what's gotten into her" Ruth said, and Regina immediately knew something was up. Ruth was usually a very cheerful woman, and right now she was anything but. She had a haunted look in her eyes, and a devastated expression; her voice was thick with more emotions than Regina could identify.

"Ruth, what is going on?" Regina asked, and Ruth averted her gaze, and looked at Pandora sadly, and Regina instantly knew something happened to Stella.

Inexplicable fear gripped Regina's heart, she had no idea why she was having such a reaction to the idea of Stella getting hurt, but she was.

"Ruth, where's Stella?" she asked, her voice a bit more commanding and forceful.

"The hospital" her voice was barely an audible whisper, and if Regina hadn't been looking at her, she would've thought she imagined the response.

Her heart sank, and her chest tightened, "What?" she breathed, "Why?"

"She was attacked on the board walk last night" Ruth replied, and Regina's breath hitched.

"I…I…is she okay?" she stuttered.

"She will be; her heart wasn't beating when they found her, and she was freezing cold. It took them over an hour to warm her up, before they even tried to revive her" Regina's face was paling more and more with each word Ruth said. She didn't know why she was having such a reaction to Stella's injury; after all she had barely known the brunette, but her heart was twisting. There was this nagging feeling at the back of her head, but she couldn't quite place it. She thought Ruth had told her the worse of it, but man was she mistaken.

"They got her back, but it was too late for the baby" Ruth finally managed to blurt out. She didn't know why she was telling Regina all of this, but she figured she'll find out eventually. Nothing stays hidden in Storybrooke for long, and she is the mayor.

Regina's hand shot out, looking for something to support her weight. Her legs appeared to betray her, and nearly buckled beneath her at what Ruth had said.

'Too late for the baby' kept bouncing around in her skull over and over again, as she stared at Ruth gob-smacked; she knew that the pain of losing a child was unbearable, or so she heard.

* * *

**FTL-27 Years Ago.**

Regina sat in the rocking chair, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. She had been in the room for god knows how long, sitting in the chair with the dress in her lap. The crib stood a few feet ahead, empty, deserted, creaking as the wind rocked it around its rusty hinges. The room was gloomy and dreary; even the mobile refused to jingle as it moved.

The room that was once filled with the gurgling and cries of an infant; filled with warmth, love and joy; filled with promises of a new life; was now only filled with the distant echoes of the laugh of a joyful mother, and her soft singing voice.

She had no idea how long she sat in that chair, rocking back and forth as she pictured her little girl. Today should have been a joyful day; her baby's first birthday. And instead of it being a day of celebration, with the music sounding in every corner of the kingdom; it was a day filled with despair and gloom.

The chair that once rocked her baby to sleep was creaking sorrowfully under her weight as she moved back and forth. She finally got sick of the sound, and got up. She took slow, unsteady, brisk steps towards the crib and gripped the sides of the empty crib as she looked inside.

She was still hoping that this would all turn out to be a cruel nightmare, and her baby's face would great her; only for that hope to shatter when all she found was the empty mattress.

This was not what she had envisioned for the day; her happily bouncy baby would be in a beautiful champagne silk dress; royals from the kingdoms nearby coming in to celebrate the happy occasion; colorful flags hung around the kingdom as the music played nonstop.

The voices of the other queens and royal women echoed in her head as they gasped when she told them she won't hire a wet nurse for the baby ; telling her that she will soon regret it once the baby is born, and waking her up every two hours. She remembers their surprise when she told them that she hadn't regretted it at the ball in Stella's honor six weeks after the birth. And she was truthful; she didn't regret it, on the contrary, she very much enjoyed it.

She enjoyed waking up in the middle of the night to feed her hungry child, and she enjoyed the feeling of her daughter as she sucked on her breast. It never failed to fill her with peace; and joy as she looked at the little girl's face. The giddy feeling she would get when her tiny fingers wrapped around her larger index.

That is all she had left now; distant memories of what she had and the broken dreams of what should've been.

* * *

Leopold's heart broke when he walked into the now deserted nursery after Regina didn't leave it for hours; she was curled up on the couch, hugging the dress to her chest, tear tracks clearly visible beneath her red, puffy eyes. He knew this day would be hard on her; and he had hoped that he would be able to tell her that they found the baby before then, and it broke his heart that he was letting her down.

He had watched as she withered away every day, little by little. The former warm and vibrant woman was slowly disappearing before his eyes, and he knew she would soon disappear unless he can bring the baby back.

He too was losing his spirit every time Claude told him the search came up empty; and he didn't know how much more resolve he had in him. She may not have been his by blood, but he was the one who felt her kick inside of Regina; heard her cry when she was born, and cradled her. He loved her from the moment he first saw her, and her disappearance ate away at him. He promised Regina that he will protect her child, _their_ child and he failed. He didn't want to fail again in finding her.

He knew it was probably even worse for Regina; she was the one who was pregnant for nine months, felt her every move and kick, waited not-so-patiently for her arrival, and fought her mother tooth and nail so the baby wouldn't get a wet nurse and a nanny. Leopold understood why she was like this; she told him she had dreamed of being a mother since she was a little girl, and barely being involved in her daughter's life was not how she pictured it. She wanted to be a mother to her daughter, not a queen to the princess.

He had sided with her, and told Cora that Johanna will suffice. He also knew Regina's hidden reason for not wanting to part from her daughter too much; she was her last connection to Daniel. And the mere thought of losing Snow; his daughter and last connection to Eva quickly had him understanding what Regina felt.

And therefore, he had always let her do things her way when it came to her daughter; and when it came to mourning her loss.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Stella sat on the window sill, hugging her knees to her chest, and resting her chin on top of them as she stared blankly out the window. It had been two weeks since her attack, and she haven't left the house since, hardly ever leaving the room. She buried herself in work, and the curse. She avoided seeing or even talking to people, because she hated the sympathetic looks she saw in their eyes. Their words were meant to comfort her, and to a certain extent they did, but they mostly fell on deaf ears. She understood what happened to her perfectly, and she was going to pull herself back up just like she did time and time again before.

The attacker hadn't been caught, and she knew he probably won't be. When Joseph had asked if she knew who did it, she said no, even though she did. She was sure that it was Travis, but she had no proof, or at least not one that doesn't involve magic.

That day she didn't feel like working, and therefore had shut off her cellphone and rescheduled all of her phone conferences. She decided to focus on the curse instead, maybe that way she will be able to give Travis what he deserves once the curse breaks.

She had run into Mr. Gold on her way out of the hospital, and for the first time since she arrived in Storybrooke, she actually spoke to him. She knew who he was immediately, but she wasn't sure if he knew her. He didn't seem like he remembered anything, but she remembered all that knew about him, he is a master of deception.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on the door, and was genuinely surprised to see her mother standing in the doorway.

"Madame Mayor" she greeted, her voice showing the amount of surprise she felt.

Regina didn't know why she felt a pang at the title, but she pushed it down for now. She had been standing in the doorway for a few minutes watching Stella, and it broke her heart to see her like this. Said heart shattered when the girl turned and Regina saw how she was trying to hide her emotions and put up her walls.

"Ruth just left" Stella now said, when Regina didn't say anything.

"I'm not here for Ruth" Regina said softly, and Stella turned towards the window once more, as she closed her eyes.

Stella didn't know how to react; her mother as standing a few feet away from her, and even though she desperately needed her, she couldn't have her. She turned her head away and tried to compose herself, but a tear escaped her closed lids, when a gentle hand was placed on her knees. She opened her eyes, and saw the warm brown ones of her mother, who was now sitting opposite her on the window sill.

Regina didn't know what had gotten into her, but she acted on instincts and reached over to wipe the tear. She nearly sobbed herself when she felt how Stella leaned into her touch ever so slightly.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, and Stella shrugged.

"I'm alright" she replied.

"No you're not, you were attacked, and you lost your child" she spoke gently, and Stella was finding it very difficult to maintain her resolve, "It's okay to fall down every once in a while"

Stella only offered her a small smile in return.

"Did you know?" she asked.

"Yeah, I suspected it before I came here, but the home pregnancy test came back negative. But then a week after I got here, the morning sickness was becoming too much to ignore, so I went to Whale and he tested me" Stella was never the one to open up like this to someone, but this wasn't just anybody; this was her mother. And even though she may not know her, the fact that she is here talking to her, and trying to comfort her proved that on some level Regina did care for her.

"Does the father know?" she wondered and Stella snorted.

"We weren't serious and he said he didn't want any kids, and basically had me choosing between him and a child"

"And since I don't see him anywhere, I am assuming you chose the baby?"

"Wouldn't you? I always wanted a child, but maybe it was for the best"

"Best how?"

"Well, how was I gonna explain where the father is? And I grew up in foster care, what kind of a mother would I have been? Not to mention the fact that I work crazy hours, and sometimes have to travel on a few hours' notice" Stella ranted.

Regina now took a hold of her hands, "listen to me; you would have made a great mother. You loved this baby even before you were sure it existed, and you are mourning its loss right now"

That was the last straw for Stella, the tears pooled into her eyes and the next thing she knew Regina had her arms wrapped around her, and her head was buried in her mother's chest.

She hadn't cried, not even shed a single tear since the attack. But here, now, in the warm and comfort provided by her mother's arms, the dams broke and so did she. The tears and sobs were hard to stop now, and the tighter Regina's arms got around her, the harder her cries seemed to get.

She was crying for the baby that she lost; the mother she missed more than anything, and was trying desperately to save; and finally because for the first time in 20 years, she finally had a glimpse of her mother's warmth and love again.

* * *

Ruth walked into the house later that evening, and immediately headed for the stairs to check on Stella. Once she reached the second floor, she could hear a low, soft humming coming from Stella's room. It got louder and louder the closer she got, and when she finally reached the open door, her heart melted at the sight.

Stella was fast asleep on the bed with her her head buried in a propped-up-on-one-elbow Regina's chest with one arm around her waist, who was stroking her hair gently as she hummed.

"I see you got her to sleep" Ruth whispered, and Regina jerked slightly at the unexpected sound.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" she apologized.

"That's alright, and yes. Has she been getting any sleep lately?" she wondered, and Ruth shook her head sadly.

"Hardly, and never this peaceful" she replied.

"Well, I better get going" Regina remarked, as she moved to get up. Stella's arm immediately tightened around her waist, snuggling more into her as she whimpered softly.

Regina froze for a few seconds till Stella settled again, and tried again, only to get the same response. She didn't know why but her heart swelled every time Stella snuggled more into her. She finally looked up helplessly at Ruth, who only smiled reassuringly at her.

"You are more than welcome to stay for the night" was all she said before she left the room, and closed the door gently behind her.

Regina slid under the covers and rested her head onto the pillow, her hand still stroking Stella's hair. The silver light of the moon was reflecting beautifully off the brunette's olive skin, and Regina for the first time appreciated how exhausted the girl looked, and not just from the events of the night before. She now moved her hand so that her thumb was repeatedly stroking the hairline right above her ear, as she leaned forward and feathered a kiss to her forehead, "sweet dreams" she whispered.


	12. In The Arms Of The Angel

When Regina woke up the next morning, she was filled with a weird sense of peace and serenity, which she couldn't explain. Her eyes fluttered open, her eyebrows furrowing at the unfamiliar room. It was only when Stella's hair rubbed against her neck, as the latter moved, did the events of last night come back to her. She now looked down at the still peacefully sleeping brunette, and couldn't help but smile. Judging by how the other side of the bed looked untouched, Stella didn't leave her arms throughout the entire night, and that knowledge brought inexplicable joy to Regina.

What baffled her the most was that odd feeling of peacefulness and serenity; it was so foreign and yet so familiar. But how can it be? She was sure her mother never indulged in such trivial things as letting her snuggle up to her when she was a child, let alone a 20 something year old; and she sure as hell didn't get it from sleeping in Travis's arms. So how can it be so familiar? And why did this overwhelming urge to cry from joy flood her when Stella mumbled 'I love you, mom' in her sleep last night?

Stella was a stranger to her, and yet the mere thought of her getting hurt caused Regina's stomach to twist and the pain that she saw in her eyes last night, shattered her heart.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

Regina had never felt this rested since….well, since Daniel as alive. There was always something that kept her up half the night and she would feel like hell when she woke up in the morning; running away with Daniel, Daniel's death, finding out that Snow was responsible, the pregnancy, Stella as a baby, and finally the disappearance.

She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had a good night's sleep; even after Stella's return, especially after Stella's return. Whether it was whimpering 'Mommy please come get me, I'll be a good girl' all night long, or thrashing and whimpering quietly in her sleep from a nightmare, sometimes it would be hours into the night before Regina fell asleep. Not that she cared, as long as her baby was in her arms, she didn't care what she had to do to ensure she stays there, and to ensure that the little girl feels safe. What she went through is hard for anyone to deal with and recover from, let alone a five year old child.

But last night, Stella had slept through the entire night without neither a nightmare, nor a whimper; allowing Regina to finally get some proper rest. She still had her eyes closed, as she enjoyed the nice morning breeze coming from the window when she felt a small hand brush lightly against her cheek. She knew that said hand belonged to her little girl, so she kept her eyes closed, intrigued by what the five year old could be doing. The hand retreated carefully, and Regina felt a tiny finger brush against her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open, and the hand immediately retreated. Once her eyes focused, she found a pair of big brown eyes-the only thing that was visible of the five year old, who had the covers pulled up all the way to her nose- looking back at her with a glint mischief in them.

She couldn't help but grin at the little girl, especially at the healthy mischievous look she had. That's what she was supposed to see in the eyes of a five year old; innocence, happiness and mischief; not the pain and fear she had been seeing for three months now. And the mischief part was a must, no child of her and Daniel's wouldn't be mischievous; it's genetic. After all, if it wasn't for said mischievousness, she never would have existed.

"Did I wake you?" the girl asked softly, before she pulled the covers back up.

Regina shook her head, "no baby, you didn't"

"Your hair was on your face, so I was pushing it away so it wouldn't bother you" she explained.

"Thank you, sweetheart; and even if you did wake me, that is a beautiful way to wake up" she assured her, stroking the back of her hand lightly.

Stella had a look in her eyes that Regina couldn't decipher, "what is it?" she inquired gently.

Stella pulled the covers down slowly, "I love you, mama" she whispered.

Regina froze; Stella's voice was barely an audible whisper that if Regina hadn't been looking directly at her, one could've argued that she imagined it. This was the first time Stella had ever said it to her; Regina and Leopold had a million times over, but she never reciprocated. She could see the slight anticipation in her eyes, and knew how big of a deal this was to her; and that if she says the wrong thing, she will never hear it from her again.

Her heart swelled with joy, love and warmth; as the tears pooled into her eyes. She let out a tearful laugh, as she pulled the little girl into her, the latter happily wiggling as close as possible to her, "I love you too baby, more than anything"

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Stella hadn't felt this warm and safe in a very long time; she instantly recognized the feeling as that which belongs to sleeping in her mother's arms, the strong steady heart beat beneath her head corroborating her suspicions. She could feel her mother's fingers brushing lightly through her hair, as she rested her cheek on top of her head. She opened her eyes slowly, careful not to show any signs that she is awake. She wanted to bask in the situation for as long as she can, and she wanted her eyes open to make sure that she wasn't dreaming it, like the many many previous times; who knows when she'll get to feel it again, if ever?

Guilt filled her when she saw that Regina had slept with her clothes on, meaning that she probably clung to her and prevented her from changing into something more comfortable. This caused another idea to come unwelcomed into her head; Regina slept with her last night, and that couldn't have made Travis happy. If her mother returned to that bastard now, he might kill her. As much as she hated to admit it, but she had to let her know that she was up; the longer she stays here, the angrier he will get. What surprised her though was that she knew that her mother knew all of this too, and yet she risked a beating by him for her sake.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, breathing in the feeling before she lifted her head off her chest. The fingers immediately stopped and Regina let her hand limply fall to the bed, as Stella pulled herself up onto the pillow and lay facing her mother. Regina turned onto her side, so they can be face to face.

"Good morning" she greeted softly.

Stella gave her a small smile in return; "thank you" was all she could say.

* * *

**So, judging by the traffic graph, people ARE reading the story, just choosing not to review. Reviews motivate me to write more, and it lets me know what you like or dislike about the story, so they make me very very happy.**

**I know that this is short, but I promise I will update again very very soon. **

**Reviews make me very happy, so please let me know what you think.**

**Thank you to all who read and followed.**


	13. Sticks And Stones

A very livid Travis stomped out of the door the next morning, vowing that Regina will pay. Ruth had come to the house the night before and informed him that Regina was sleeping at her house, because she couldn't pry herself away from Stella's sleeping grasp. How dare she put a stranger before him? And without even asking for his permission. Especially this stranger out of them all. He had hated her the moment he laid eyes on her; first she had the gall to not only reject his moves, but to also threaten him. Nobody says no to him, let alone threaten him. And then she humiliated him when she refused to shake his hand in front of Cora, James, Mary Margret and her father; he hadn't missed the gloating smirk on Leopold's face. He hated that she wasn't scared of him, she stood there that day at Regina's office with a powerful glare on her face, and she didn't even flinch when he moved towards her. Moreover; she came later into his office and threatened him. She obviously cared for Regina, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. She wasn't intimidated by him, he was the one intimidated by her and he didn't like it one bit. And now she had Regina spending the night with her, without any regards for him at all. Who the hell did she think she was? He didn't go anywhere near Regina since she left the hospital because she was always at the house across the street, and he couldn't risk her hearing the commotion and calling the Sherriff; he wouldn't be able to get out of it.

As soon as he reached the street, he froze in his tracks. There she was, looking just as defiant as she was that day in his office as she walked towards him. Since he wasn't the one to back down, he stalked towards her, his temper flaring even more when all she did was pick up her pace and get up in his face.

"If you think that you scared me into backing off, then you have no idea who you are dealing with" she hissed.

* * *

Regina had decided to take a walk during the lunch break, trying to get away from all the stress that's in her life at the moment. Her mother constantly trying to remind her that there is nothing more important than her image, and that she needs to make sure that the people know where the power lies; as if she had read her mind and knows that she is thinking about leaving Travis. The latter who she had been avoiding all day like the plague, knowing that he will probably be pissed about what she did the night before.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of a child's laughter, she looked to her right and saw a girl who couldn't be older than seven running, with someone, whom she could only assume was her mother, chasing closely behind. The little girl's laughter filled the air, and Regina couldn't help but smile wistfully at the innocent, carefree grin the girl had on her face; and the look of pure love and joy on the mother's. She had always longed to have a child, to have a little girl of her own that she can chase around, but as her husband always liked to remind her; she wasn't fit to be a mother.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

The royal family was sitting in the library, enjoying a peaceful day. Leopold was sitting in the arm chair, facing Regina who had Stella in her lap; the latter reading from a book. She was a very good reader for her age, and he didn't want to think about how she came to be this good. She still sat in Regina's lap at every chance she got, not that her mother minded; especially when she was doing something for the first time. Even though she knew Leopold wouldn't hurt her, but she still felt better if she did it from her mother's arms, and Leopold didn't mind. He understood that to her safety was Regina's arms, and that was all he wanted for her; to feel safe. And even though she had been reading with them for two months now, it was still something that she preferred to do from the safety of her mother's arms.

Regina would correct her gently, whenever she mispronounced something, as her fingers ran through her hair. Snow was sitting with them on the couch, reading a book of her own.

The doors to the library flew open, interrupting their concentration and had Stella jolting and recoiling further into Regina's arms simultaneously, the latter immediately reassuring her. Any sudden noises still frightened her, and for a second she would think that it was that bastard coming for her.

Leopold was about to reprimand Claude for barging in like that, who was well aware of Stella's fear, when he saw the look on his face, "Claude, what is happening? Are we under attack?" he demanded, and Claude shook his head.

"No, we are not, your majesty" he assured him.

"Then why do you look like you just escaped the lion's den?" Leopold inquired.

"May I speak to you in private?" Claude asked instead.

Leopold's response was to get up from his chair, and walk with Claude away from the three women.

"What is it?" Leopold asked worriedly.

"I believe we found him" Claude replied.

"Travis?" Leopold sought confirmation.

"Yes, he is in the dungeon"

"And I suppose you want Stella to see if it really is him" Leopold voiced the unsaid sentence, and Claude only nodded reproachfully at him. He knew the kind of burden that would put on the still-healing five year old, and how much the King hated having to put her through these situations. But they couldn't risk imprisoning an innocent for the crimes of another, while the other roams free.

Leopold sighed deeply, and turned around to find three pairs of very curious eyes looking at him. He took slow, tentative steps towards them, and crouched down in front of his wife and daughter.

"We found Travis, sweetheart" he said softly, and the little girl immediately paled, "he's downstairs…" the rest of his sentence was cut short by the little girl's hysterical 'No' as she turned around and clamped her hands around Regina's neck. What surprised him the most, and shattered his heart was what came out of the girl's mouth.

"Mama, please don't let him take me. I promise I'll be good, I'm sorry I woke you up this morning; I won't do it again, but please don't give me back to him" she cried into Regina's neck, who was too stunned to talk.

Everyone in the room was stunned into silence at what the girl kept saying over and over again hysterically.

Regina closed her eyes in pain, and in an effort to stop the tears from escaping against her will. She turned her head, so that now her nose and mouth were buried in Stella's hair, where she whispered assurances, "Baby, you did nothing wrong; you can wake me up any time you want. I love you more than anything and I won't let him hurt you again, I promise" Regina kept repeating over and over, till Stella finally stopped mumbling apologies left and right and calmed down a bit. She was still shaking in Regina's arms, and Regina was grateful when Snow started rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Stella" Leopold called gently, and she only craned her neck enough for her to see him with one eye.

"I told you once before, that we will not let him anywhere near you. He is not going to take you away, and we won't send you back. It took us five years to find you, don't ever think that we will send you away for anything" he stressed.

"Then why is he downstairs?" she asked tearfully.

"Because we captured him, and put him in prison for what he did to you" Claude was the one to answer.

"And we just want you to make sure that it really is him" Leopold explained, and she visibly swallowed.

"Is that necessary? The portrait was accurate, why do you need her?" Snow was the one to ask, since Regina was still trying hard not to sob at what her baby just said.

She couldn't believe that even after three months, her daughter still thinks that they might send her back; and because she woke her up no less. She could feel how stiff the girl was in her arms, and how tight her fists were clutching the back of her dress.

"I am afraid so" Claude answered.

"And if it is him?" Stella wondered.

"Then we will keep him in the cell, to make sure that he never hurts you again" Leopold replied. He and Regina had figured a while back that they won't be able to punish him in any other way, because of Stella. She won't understand the difference between what they wanted to do to him, and what he did to her; so they settled on locking him up in the dungeons. Regina refused to let him go to the work house, out of fear that he might escape.

Stella nodded her head in understanding, "only if you promise that you, Mamma and Snow will stay here" she stated.

"Why?" Snow asked, and Stella just shrugged.

"I don't want him near you" she mumbled.

"I will take good care of her" Claude interrupted, when he saw that Regina was about to protest to letting her child face the monster who hurt her on her own.

"NO, I am coming with you" she objected forcefully, as she sprung to her feet, with Stella in her arms.

"No, Mamma, please" the girl pleaded with her, "Stay here, please"

Regina looked into her eyes, and all she saw was the plea in them, and as much as she hated it, she couldn't say no.

"If he so much as looks at her funny…." She seethed.

"I know" Claude said, as he took the little girl from her arms.

Once Stella and Claude left the room, Regina started to hyperventilate, and no sooner did the door close behind them, did she bend over and gasp for air.

"Regina, I need you to breathe" Leopold instructed. He rushed over to her, and place one hand on her back.

"She thought I was going to give her to him" she gasped, as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Shhhhh" he soothed, "just breathe"

"I'm a terrible mother" she sobbed.

Leopold's response was to pull her into his arms, where she broke down into heaving sobs, "No you are not; you are a wonderful mother. I know what she said was harsh, but she is terrified. He was the only father she knew, and he was horrible to her. She knows we're different, but she's five, it will take more than three months to get rid of those fears of abandonment, and impeding punishment"

"She said 'I love you' you today for the first time" she whimpered into his chest.

"And she will say it again a million times over. You know she loves you, and she knows that you love her. But sometimes her fear takes over" he soothed.

They stood like this for a while, Regina sniffling into his chest, as the tears ran down her cheeks, while he rubbed soothing circles on her back. She had barely managed to compose herself, when the doors to the library swung open once more, and Claude entered with Stella still in his arms, who immediately reached for her mother.

Regina took her into her arms, bringing one hand to cradle her head, as she rested her cheek against the side of the little girl's head. She didn't need to ask if it was him or not, the look on Stella's face was answer enough. She pressed her mouth to her hair, "I've got you baby, I'm right here. I love you" she murmured over and over again.

Leopold left the room with Claude, and Snow moved closer to the distraught mother and broken child, "that was very brave of you, sweetie" she praised, and Stella opened her eyes to look at her.

Snow gave her a small smile in return, and Stella's response was to reach for Snow's hand. Snow was quick to hold onto the small, offered hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, as she rubbed the back of her hand gently with her thumb.

"You did very good, baby" Regina whispered, and Stella's only response was to rub her face in the crook of her mother's neck.

* * *

**So as you can see the reviews inspired me to write more.**

**Thank you to all who read, followed and of course reviewed.**

**Let me know what you guys think of this chapter, and the faster I see reviews the faster the new chapter gets updated.**

**To Metope, is that enough fluff for you hun? ;) **

**To Artina; first of all I love your name, it is very unique. Thank you very much for the review, and I am very happy to hear that you liked the story. I appreciate the review. Stella did tell Cora what Travis is doing but Cora is in denial, since she never saw any signs of it. And yes, Regina is pretty brave, but I guess her motherly instincts took over. Let me know what you think of this chapter.**


	14. Make A Wish

Travis once again found himself taking fast, purposeful strides towards Regina's office. His secretary's outfit had his eyes bulging out of his skull, and lust out of his pants. Unfortunately for him though, she was happily married and any advance from him would not end well. He had never made a move on one of the women of Storybrooke, knowing that it won't be long before news spreads, and it wasn't going to end in his favor. The only one he ever hit on was Stella, and that was because he thought she was just a passing stranger. He still didn't understand why she didn't say anything. Thoughts of Stella caused his lust to increase; as much as he hated her and hated to admit to it, but she turned him on. She was gorgeous; long, ebony hair with beautiful waves and curls; long, thick, black eyelashes; chocolate, brown eyes; gorgeous mouth; and a body to die for.

But since he couldn't have either women without it turning into a scandal, he did the one thing he could do; march himself over to his wife's office, so he can take care of said lust, whether she wants to or not. He was hoping that she would resist him; he liked it better when he felt like he had the upper hand.

It was an added bonus that Regina was so damned attractive to boot; her outfits always accentuated her curves, and the colors she chose were the final touch. He wasn't a fool, he wasn't blind, he saw how every guy checked her out in Storybrooke, and he liked letting her know that she was his.

And so, he was grinning devilishly as he approached her office; images of what he will do to her flashing before his eyes, increasing the lust within him. He swung the door open, and froze. The grin immediately disappearing off his face, and replaced by a shocked, horrified expression, as his jaw fell open from the shock.

There she was, in all of her sexy glory, standing in the middle of the office in a figure-hugging black dress, and a dark purple blazer that closed just below her chest, immediately drawing his eyes to the swell of her breast which was covered by a intricately-designed lace, was the cause of his misery –and right now more lust than he had ever known- was Stella.

Her hair was loose on her back, and it only added to her appeal. She didn't seem as surprised to see him, as he was to see her. And once he was over the initial shock of how drop dead gorgeous she was, it dawned on him that if she was here, then his plans for Regina are ruined. And therefore, his expression immediately morphed into one of anger.

Her stance had changed from a casual one to a defying one, the second she laid eyes on him. She saw the lust in his eyes, and fought the urge to use her magic on him and make him regret even having a penis. Instead she clenched her fists, fantasizing about how, if she had it her way, he would be squirming with pain on the floor right now. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him, and her jaw clenched tight.

"What are you doing here?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I work here, what are _you_ doing here?" she shot back.

His eyes widened, nearly popping out of his skull, "Y….yo…you work _here_?" he stammered.

Her lips curved up in a gloating smirk, which grew when she saw how his nostrils flared from the anger, "Yes"

"Since when?" he hissed.

"Why is that any of your business? I work for Regina, and last I checked, _she_ was the mayor and not you" she was delighting in his annoyance, and he was just setting himself up to be chewed by her. He knew that she was well aware that he was either the one behind her attack, or the one who actually did it; and the fact that it didn't get her to back down put him on edge. It had been four months since that day in the street, and he hadn't touched Regina since then. She enraged him more than once, but before he could even slap her, Stella's daring eyes would flash before his eyes and he would opt not to. He would leave the house and return drunk as a skunk, and force her to sleep with him. But at least, THAT didn't leave any signs that anyone can use against him.

He took a threatening step towards her, and all she did was cross her arms over her chest daringly. Before either of them could get a chance to continue the glaring match that they seemed to enjoy so much, the bathroom door opened and an unsuspecting Regina walked out.

"Stella, I think you are right about the…." She trailed off once she laid eyes on her husband, her heartbeat increasing drastically, thought she managed to keep her face straight, when not only did she notice the look of pure anger on his face, but also how close he was to Stella. She didn't mind him beating her to a pulp, but she didn't want him laying one finger on Stella. She had no idea when she became so maternal about the girl, but she wasn't going to stand around and contemplate that fact when her abusive husband was standing less than two feet away from the brunette in question.

She knew why he was here, granted that he hadn't done it in nearly four months, but old habits die hard and horrible memories never do. And if her suspicions were true, then he REALLY wasn't happy about Stella ruining his plans, yet again.

"Travis" she said in surprise.

"Hello, dear. You didn't tell me that you hired someone new" his tone was unusually neutral, but neither woman missed the underlying anger.

"The subject never came up" she said nonchalantly, as she strode over to her desk and sat down. She knew that her new found courage was because Stella was in the office, and the knowledge that Travis wouldn't dare do anything in her presence. Her concern was that he might decide to do hurt Stella instead. This caused a lingering feeling to come unwelcomed into her mind, but she pushed it back for the time being. She can ponder her lingering feelings and the weird knots she gets in her stomach whenever the mere thought of Stella getting hurt is mentioned later.

"You didn't even mention that you needed help; I'm sure many people would qualify for the job"

"Well, after her help a few months ago on those budget reports, she started working on and off with me whenever I needed help. And besides, she's a part owner in a multi-billion dollar corporation, I highly doubt anyone in this town is more qualified than her; myself included" she argued, her tone slightly mocking, but there was no mistaking the pride.

Stella couldn't help the jittery feeling at how proud her mother seemed to be of her and it took all of the world's resolve to push back the tears before the rise to her eyes.

He opened his mouth to answer, when a very familiar bark was heard. He groaned inwardly, this _really_ wasn't his day. Less than two seconds later, the grey husky patted into the room and straight to her owner. Stella immediately crouched down, and miraculously managed to balance her weight without any support on the ridiculously high heels she had on. The husky stood on its hind limbs and rested the front ones on its owner's legs, as she nuzzled her neck and licked her cheek.

"Pandora, what are you doing here?" she giggled, as she rubbed the thick fur around the husky's neck.

"She missed you" a male voice came from the door, and Stella's head shot up at the sound.

Travis turned around to locate the source, and found a man who was probably in his early thirties, in jeans and a black coat over his white dress shirt leaning against the door.

Stella's face lit up like a Christmas tree, "Neal" she nearly squealed as she sprung to her feet, closed the distance in two big strides and crashed into his open arms.

His arms immediately wrapped around her, and he turned his face so that now it was buried in her hair, "hey sis" he chuckled, and the only thing she could do was bury her face in his shoulder as she clawed at the back of his coat.

He knew this hold, he had spent countless nights throughout their lives with her in his arms, clutching onto him for dear life like this till he lulled her to sleep. He lifted his gaze and immediately knew why; he may not have known what the bastard looked like, but the way he was looking at her was evidence enough to his identity. He tightened his hold around her, as he stood tall once more, without letting her out of his hold. She still had her head buried in his chest, and he brought one hand to cradle her head before he kissed its top.

His eyes now wandered to the beautiful brunette sitting behind the ebony desk, and all he needed to know her identity was one look at her face.

Not only was the resemblance between her and Stella uncanny, but the bright smile on her face and shear happiness in her eyes at the sight of Stella in his arms sealed the deal, that this woman was none other than his sister's mother, Regina Mills.

Regina felt a pang in her heart when she saw Stella crumple down to a little girl in this Neal character's arms; she had read the file Joseph had given her mother about her and knew that she grew up in foster care. The file had no mention of Neal and it made absolutely no sense that he just called her sis; didn't Stella say she doesn't remember much about her life before she was found on the side of the road? So how is he calling her sis? And if he was really her brother, then why the hell didn't he come when Stella was attacked?

But all of these unanswered questions took a back seat as she watched how Stella's whole face lit up at the sight of this man, and how she now had a peaceful look on her face that she had only seen once; when she fell asleep in her arms.

Stella finally pulled back from the iron-hold Neal now had on her, but didn't fully break out of it, "what are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were coming" she asked.

"I figured you'd be waiting for me" he replied, as he now crouched down to pet the happily barking husky, "hey girl, I missed you too" he cooed.

"Why would I be waiting?" she inquired, and he stood up once more.

"I knew you would forget" he shook his head in disbelief, and she only furrowed her brows in confusion.

"You in trouble" James now remarked and she turned her head to look at him. She had no idea when he came, but he was now standing slightly between her and Travis, his hands tucked in the front pockets of his jeans.

"Why is she in trouble?" Regina now interjected, and Neal had to fight the urge to smile at how Regina was already protective of Stella.

"She failed to mention it to my mother that today was her birthday" James chirped.

"You told Ruth?" and "Her birthday?" were squeaked by Stella and Regina simultaneously.

"No" Neal answered, looking at Stella, "And yes" he looked at Regina.

"Granny was the one who told mom" James stated, and Stella only gave him a blank expression.

"Well, I didn't come here directly. I stopped at the diner to get some coffee" he was interrupted by Stella, "you and your coffee addiction" she groaned.

"Yes, and when Granny heard that my last name was Cassidy, she asked if I was related to you. When I said I was your brother, she said that I must be here for your birthday, and it just so happened that Ruth and James were there" he explained.

"So now she is going to celebrate it, and then kill you for not telling her yourself" James added, "you guys are invited to the party tonight" he finished, as he looked at Regina.

"What? No, no party" Stella interjected.

"Stella, call me old fashioned but I do very much like to keep on living, and if I don't follow my mother's orders to the letter, I may very well join my father, may her rest in peace"

"I don't want to make a big deal out of it" she whined.

Neal opened his mouth to bite her head off, when Regina beat him to the punch, "Stella, don't be ridiculous, it's your birthday; it's a happy occasion and you deserve to celebrate" she said in a final tone, and Neal saw how much that one sentence meant the world to Stella.

Regina then turned her attention back to James, "Tell Ruth not to worry about the cake, I'll take care of it"

Before Stella could even think about objecting, Regina lifted a finger to silence her, "not a word out of you; you're in enough trouble as it is young lady" and Stella immediately shut up.

"Wow I need you to tell me how you do that" Neal commented, smiling innocently at Stella's glare.

"So let's go, we have a tradition to follow" Neal instructed, grabbing Stella's hand and pulling her towards the exit.

"Tradition?" James repeated.

"Yes, it started out with her ninth birthday; we watched a movie together and I took her out for ice cream; that later became dinner at a fancy restraunt, after watching whatever movie that she wants. So you can imagine the amount of chick flicks I have seen over the years" he joked.

"Well, I am afraid we don't have a movie theatre here" Regina stated remorsefully.

"Well, I saw a skating rink, so I think we can tweak it a little"

"Have fun then" Regina cried cheerfully.

"But…." Stella interjected, only for Regina to raise her hand up once more.

"No buts, I can finish up what we were working on" she said, as she approached the still too stunned to talk Stella.

"Happy Birthday" she said softly, as she pulled Stella into a hug.

Neal knew that if he didn't get Stella out of the office pretty soon, she will break down in tears and that would be very difficult to explain.

Stella tried desperately not to cling to her mother, and to hold back the tears. But she was also petrified; all of this hustle had taken twenty minutes only out of the lunch break, which leaves forty more for Travis to do as he damn well pleases with her mother. She didn't know how to tell Neal that, and Regina seemed hell bound on letting her celebrate her birthday.

Travis was smirking inwardly at how well this played out, and he moved closer to Regina. But it appeared he had forgotten about something. He had barely taken a step, when a low growl sounded, and when he looked down; he found Pandora standing between him and Regina. It was only at Pandora's growl did a light bulb go off in Stella's head.

"Alright" she sighed in defeat, "if you all insist"

"We do" James, Neal and Regina all chimed simultaneously.

"And I know how much Pandora likes to skate, let's go girl" Neal called, and Stella twitched her finger subtly.

Neal furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, when Pandora didn't come to him.

"Pandora, let's go" Stella called, to stifle any suspicions; but once again, the husky stood her grounds between Regina and Travis.

James and Neal were both baffled by her behavior, she never disobeyed Stella's orders, until they both caught sight of Travis's crimson face and immediately caught on to what is happening. Stella knew that Travis had something up his sleeve for Regina, and Pandora was the only barrier to that; and judging by the relieved expression on Regina's face, Stella was right.

"It's alright, she can stay with me" Regina offered, and Stella nodded in response, before she grabbed her coat and allowed Neal to drag her away.

"You used magic to make her stay, didn't you?" Neal asked, once he was out of ear shot of everyone.

"Of course I did" she gloated and he couldn't help but chuckle at the goofy grin on her face, especially when they heard Pandora's warning bark.

* * *

**So since you were all so great and reviewed, I decided not to keep you all waiting too long for the new chapter. The next one will also be a bit fluffy, but fear not; the drama and tears will soon follow.**

**To Artina; thank you very much my dear, I am glad to see that you like it as much; but I would hate to be the reason to keep you from your job. But I understand, I myself sometimes cant focus at work because I cant get the chapter out of my head till I put it on paper and post it. What is it that you hope to see in a Travis/Regina confrontation?**

**To Anonymouse; LOL! Well, we all have our dark secrets don't we? ;) And no worries; Stella will be doing all kinds of I told you so dances with Cora ;)**

**To Mere-Brennan; sweat dreams my dear ;)**

**Let me know what you guys think of the chapter.**

**Reviews are great and make me very happy.**

**Thank you.**


	15. Happy Birthday

Neal and Stella decided to walk to the skating rink instead of taking either of their cars; they had a lot of catching up to do, and Neal didn't think that the skating rink provided enough privacy. Granted, it was a school day and it was most likely empty, but still the acoustics there worked differently, and therefore people might end up hearing things they weren't supposed to. He had one arm wrapped around her shoulder, the other one tucked in his jean pocket; while she had her arm around his waist.

"So this is Travis?" he asked, as he rubbed her arm.

"Yeah"

"And your mother, she's gorgeous" he said awe, and she chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. Why do you think I always I liked it as a kid when people would tell me that I look like her? I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world, still do" she reminced.

"Well, you do look a lot like her. I don't know how no one had noticed that already, but I guess the curse is affecting their perception" he guessed.

"Probably" she agreed.

"So was it me, or did I walk in when Travis was about to lose it on the two of you?" he asked.

"Well, he _was_ livid, but he wasn't going to do anything. He knows that I am on to him, and that if he slips I will kill him" she replied.

"And how does he know that?" he inquired, already suspecting the answer.

"Because I told him so" she deadpanned, and he smiled in pride. She was always overprotective of the people she loves.

"And I am sure that he tried to threaten you" he offered, and when he was only met with silence, he stopped them both and turned her around to face him.

"Stella, did he hurt you?" he almost yelled, and when she averted her gaze, he knew his answer. He made a move to head back to the office, probably so he can beat the guy to a pulp, and was only stopped by Stella.

"Neal, don't. Yes he did hurt me, but that was four months ago" she pleaded, and it only succeeded in making him angrier.

"Four months! Why the hell isn't he in jail?"

"Because no one knows it was him"

He looked at her incredulously, and she sighed.

"No body knows what he does to mom, I know because I know who he was back in our land. And the only reason why I know that he was the one who attacked me is because I had threatened him that day, right after I walked in on him just as he slapped her. He thought that I would back off, but when I didn't he was the one who backed off mom. And until I can figure out another way to get her out of his hands, I will take what I can get. I don't care about what happened to me, as long as he doesn't touch her"

"Well, I do care about what happens to you" he yelled.

"Neal, please. I'm the only chance she got, attacking him will make things worse" she pleaded, and he sighed angrily.

"A man like him doesn't use his words to express what he wants; what the hell did he do to you, Stella? What could he have possibly done to think that you will back off?" he demanded, and she looked to the floor once more. She ran her hand through her hair, and sighed. She really didn't want to tell him about what happened, but it seemed that he wasn't going to drop the subject.

"I nearly died in that attack; he hit me on the head and then dumped the body in the water. One of the fishermen saw me floating and called the ambulance. I was technically dead for about an hour, but since the cold temperature had my organs in a hibernated state, they decided that I am not dead, till I am warm and dead. Luckily, once they got my temperature back to normal, my heart started beating again, and I was fine" she recounted.

"That's why you avoided my calls for two weeks? Because you were in the hospital?" he asked.

"No, I was released the next day. I was stable all night, so they didn't see any reason to keep me" she replied.

"Stella, what aren't you telling me?" he asked softly.

She averted her gaze once more, and started fidgeting with the buttons on his coat, "I was pregnant" she whispered, and his face paled.

His heart sank at the implication behind the sentence; she said 'was' and not 'is' which means she no longer is.

"You lost it?" it was more of a statement than a question, but she nodded solemnly nonetheless.

"Kevin?" he asked.

"Yeah, I suspected it before I came here, but the home pregnancy test came back negative. I think I was too early for it to detect it, but when I came here, the morning sickness was getting worse, so I had a blood test and it came back positive" she explained, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Is that why you broke up? He dumped you?" he hissed.

"No, I dumped him, so to speak. First thing he said when I told him that I might be pregnant was 'Will you go with abortion or adoption?'. He said he wanted to focus on his career, and that I should too. That a baby would only ruin our chances, and take up most of my time. He also said that I either stay with him or keep the baby" she recounted, and Neal's temper was flaring with every word.

"I am going to kill him" he vowed.

"There's no point. He and I weren't serious any ways, and before I left I told him that it was negative but that we were still over. So maybe this worked out for the best" she smiled, trying to assure him, but he still wasn't convinced.

"You shouldn't have gone through this alone, Stell" he reprimanded lightly.

"I didn't. Ruth, Mary Margret and James were there; and so was mom" she informed him, a wistful smile tugging at her lips as she did.

"Your mom?"

"Yeah, I kind of hid in my room for two weeks until one day she came over to the house and made me talk about it. It didn't take much effort on her part, and before I knew it I was sobbing in her arms. Soon enough I was fast asleep in them, and she stayed throughout the night" her voice had gone softer, but thick with the held back tears.

"Travis wouldn't have been too happy about that" he stated.

"Well, I saw him the next morning and told him that if he thinks that what happened will make me stay back or scare me off, then he has no idea who he's dealing with" she gloated.

"And he backed off of her?" he sought confirmation.

"I think so yes"

He nodded his head slowly, he was still furious; at her for not telling him about all of this; at Travis for doing this to her; at Kevin for his attitude and last but not least at Cora for casting the damned curse and causing this whole mess; and well there was one other person he was livid at, but he didn't want to think about him. But since today was her birthday, he decided not to dwell on the sad stuff, and focus on the bright side. She did get to spend time in her mother's arms, they bonded; and from what he saw at the office, Regina's motherly instincts are kicking in.

"You know you never told me about your first birthday with them" he decided to change the subject.

"Well"

* * *

**FTL- 22 Years Ago.**

Stella opened her eyes slowly, and was met by the sight of an empty pillow. She was about to panic, when she caught sight of the mobile moving above her bed from the corner of her eye. She turned onto her back, and rubbed her eyes in an effort to get rid of any remaining sleep fog, grinning broadly when the events of last night came back.

She had slept in her own bed, in her room without her mother. The room had been ready for weeks, but her parents told her that she can sleep in it only when she feels ready, and last night she felt like she was. She asked them if she can, and they both said the choice was all hers. Regina had tucked her in, and they both kissed her goodnight and left the room, but not before reminding her for the hundredth time that if she wants to come back into their bed at any point in the night, she can. She promised that she would if she needed, but also promised herself that she will try to make it through the night.

What they both didn't know was that she had made a deal with Claude, he will stay outside of the room to make sure that both she and her parents remain safe. Travis had been in the dungeons for the past three months, and even though Claude had double the amount of guards on his cell, she felt safer with Claude keeping an eye on her family. She even enchanted his sword so he can ward off evil magic, should the evil witch return to take her away.

What _she _didn't know was that Leopold and Regina knew of said deal, and had waited till she was fast asleep and tried to relieve Claude of his post, only he refused. He said that he doesn't want to give her any reason to doubt his word, if this is what will make her feel safe and help her heal, then he will gladly do it.

She was almost invisible within the large bed, and all the covers and pillows around her. She shuffled from under all of them, careful to take the white stuffed harbor seal Snow had gotten her a few weeks earlier with her, and headed for the doors. She smiled brightly at the very-exhausted-looking Claude, happy that he had kept his promise. He smiled back at her, all the exhaustion that he felt immediately evaporating when he saw the amount of trust, gratitude and joy that he had kept his promise in her eyes.

"Good Morning, Princess" he greeted, and she giggled. She was still not used to being called Princess.

"Good Morning, thank you for staying" she said gratefully. He crouched down to her level, and took her small hand into his rather large one, kissing it softly, "My pleasure"

"Where are my parents?" she asked.

"They haven't left their chambers" he replied, and she happily skipped over to it. She found the door slightly ajar, and was about to slip inside and surprise them when her mother's voice reached her ears and her words made her freeze in her tracks.

"I don't want Stella here"

The words cut through like a knife; her lips immediately started to tremble as the tears pooled into her eyes. She bolted for her room, and ignored Claude's surprise calls after her. She slammed the doors shut with magic, and climbed under the covers. She hugged the seal to her chest, and started sobbing quietly.

She had been good to her mother, did as she was told and even went to sleep in a different room so that she wouldn't bother her; and even now she still didn't want her. Travis was right, she was a bad daughter and no body wanted her.

The door opened, and in walked her mother, completely oblivious to what her daughter heard.

"Baby, are you awake?" she asked softly, as she walked towards the rather-too-big-for-such-a-small-child-bed.

"Yes" came Stella's muffled response, and Regina's heart sank. She easily spotted the tears in her voice, and could distinctly hear the sniffling as she moved closer to the bed.

"Stella, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly, as she quickened her pace and got up onto the bed. She felt a pang in her heart when Stella shook her hand away as soon as she put it on her shoulder, and when she turned around to face her, her heart shattered. She had never thought that she would see those emotions in her baby's eyes again, and most certainly not directed at her; the accusation, the betrayal and the raw pain. She didn't know what happened, and she honestly didn't care. She knew those were directed at her, and that she was the one who put them there; and therefore she had to fix it and fast.

"Why did you lie?" she accused, and Regina's heart sank.

Surely she hadn't heard her talking to Leopold about Daniel? She had made sure a thousand times over that the room only had the two of them in it, is it possible that she was in some hidden corner of the room and heard the entire conversation?

She opened her mouth to respond, when Stella cut her off, "why did you tell me that you wanted me when you don't?" she sobbed.

Regina sighed inwardly in relief, before the question really sunk in, "Stella" she breathed, only to be cut off by an almost hysterical cry, "You don't have to keep me here, you can give me away if you want"

Regina's heart was breaking piece by piece with every word, how could she possibly think that? Even after six months, she still thinks that they don't want her. She thought they were past this mark, but clearly not. What she couldn't understand is what brought this on? Why was she acting like this? Is it because they let her sleep in her bed, and didn't insist on her sleeping in theirs?

She tried again to reach for her hand, only for Stella to back away. She let her hand fall limply to where Stella was a second ago, and didn't bother to hide the pain. The tears pooled into her eyes, "Baby, please don't say that" she pleaded, "I love you more than anything, and I do want you" she whispered, her voice catching on the last two words as the emotions became too much for her to swallow.

"I heard you tell Dad that you don't want me here" Stella cried.

"Yes, I did say that, I didn't want you in the room because your presents aren't ready yet" she explained, as the tears now made their way down her cheeks.

She saw the flicker of hope in her eyes, and she gave her a small smile in hopes that she will see the sincerity of her statement and believe her. She had swore that her child will never cower away from her touch, and she had no idea how bad it hurt. She just wanted her baby in her arms; even after six months, she was still having one of the worst cases of separation anxieties in the history of mankind. Whenever she was away from her for long, she would spend a few minutes, just holding her.

"Presents?" she asked skeptically, and Regina nodded. She reached forward hesitantly to wipe the cascading tears off the pink, round cheeks and was relieved when Stella didn't pull away. Her heart fluttered with joy when the girl shuffled over to her, and threw her arms around her neck, and nuzzled her face into its crook. She wrapped her arms around the small frame tightly, and brought one hand to cradle her head.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled, and Regina sniffled in response.

"It's okay baby, I'm sorry too" she said.

"Why are you giving me a present?" she now asked curiously.

"Because it's your birthday" Regina answered joyfully, a wide grin now appearing on her face.

Stella pulled back from the hug, and looked thoughtfully at her, "what's a birthday?" she wondered, and Regina's face went blank.

Her baby not only didn't know when her own birthday was, but she had no idea what it meant to begin with.

"Well, exactly six years ago on this day, you were born" she explained, as she pushed some of her hair out of her face.

"Really?" she asked brightly.

"Yeah, you were born in the middle of the night. It was the happiest day of my life" she recounted.

"And I get presents on my birthday?" she sought confirmation.

"Yes, you do"

* * *

** Storybrooke-Present.**

"I never forgot the look on her face as I accused her of not wanting me" Stella remarked regretfully.

"You were a child, you didn't know any better" Neal countered.

"Yeah. Anyways, she told me that Dad had informed the rest of the kingdom of my return shortly after Travis was apprehended. And since they all knew when I was born, Dad figured that a big celebration in my honor was due. He had invited kings and Dukes from all over, and they were all coming to celebrate my birthday. I clung to Mom that day and refused to leave her side, but I had the time of my life. I remember being so happy that all those people were there for my sake. Granted that I used to nearly get a panic attack whenever a man would come near me, but I also knew that Mom would never let any of them hurt me" she recounted.

"What did you get for your birthday?" he asked.

"I don't remember much of the things I got from the other Kings and Dukes, but I do remember what Mom, Dad and Snow got me. Dad got me a pony, my very own horse; a beautiful, black Arabian. I called him Phantom for whatever reason. Snow got me my first riding outfit; black, tight, leather pants; a white shirt and a navy blue jacket with black boots. Even Johanna and Claude got me gifts" she counted.

"What did your mom get you?"

She held up her right hand, and wiggled her middle finger at him. It was adorned with a gold ring that had a green gem in the middle, "she had it around a necklace at the time and said that she loved it very much; that she had it since she was a kid and now she wants me to have it" she explained.

* * *

"You threw him off the jet ski" Neal stated incredulously, while Regina, Leopold, Mary Margret, Ruth and James laughed hysterically. Travis, fortunately, had came up with an excuse for missing the party; not that any of them minded, Regina included.

"The idiot let go of his hands" Stella protested.

"He owns one of the largest multi-billion dollar corporations in the country. I don't think the term idiot applies to him" he stated cheekily.

"That means he's good in math, and not simple physics evidently" she humphed and he couldn't help but grin ruefully at her.

"I cant believe he gave you a third of his company after a stunt like this" Mary-Margret barely managed to get out between her laughs.

"Neither do I" Stella deadpanned.

They were all sitting in the living room with the remains of what used to be a chocolate cake on the coffee table.

"The Italian branch was your idea; you worked the numbers, did all the paper work, lost countless hours of sleep as you nurtured it. It was only fitting; you were the one who started it and watched it grow. It was your baby" he instantly regretted the last remark and mentally head slapped himself. He opened his mouth to say something, when Stella beat him to it.

"Don't even think about taking it back. This is why I didn't want you to know; I don't want you to tip toe around me. I'm fine; I'm not in denial, I am well aware of what happened, I am simply choosing to move on"

"Well, speaking of tip-toeing, I need to go unless you want me to tip-toe into court tomorrow hoping that the judge wont notice me" he joked, and she chuckled.

After he said goodbye to the rest, they both walked to his car.

Regina stood in the doorway watching, as they talked briefly before he pulled her into his arms. She couldn't help but watch, she looked so small and vulnerable in his arms, and it just reminded Regina of how young she is. It reminded her that underneath it all, she's still just a little girl who probably never got the chance to have a normal childhood.

Once the car pulled away, she started making her way towards Stella and met her halfway on the lawn.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, and Stella gave her a tearful smile in return.

"I left Boston in the middle of the night for a reason, I always hated seeing him leave" she choked out.

"You two seem pretty close" she remarked.

"Happens when you go through what we did. He checked himself out of the foster care system at 16 and worked his ass off to make sure that I can too later. He had a full scholarship to Harvard Law, and he somehow managed to juggle an internship at one of the biggest law firms in the country, and a part time job so he can get his own place the second school ends. He didn't want me to have to be in foster homes a minute more than I had to. Even when I got into college, he refused to let me stay in the dorms. He refused to let me pay rent, or even for food. Even though I had some money from the jobs I worked during high school. He said he was making enough to support the two of us, and when I start getting paid I can buy him a present. Which was exactly what I did with my first pay-check. I landed the internship at the corporation less than a month into my first year, and was a part time by the time the second year rolled in. And he still refused to let me pay rent, said that I should buy myself some fancy clothes so I can fit it with the brats at college and at work. He got pissed when I put in my first real pay check as a down payment for a nicer apartment; even though he had probably spent a thousand times more on me through out the years" The tears were hard to stop now, and her voice was shaky, "and most importantly, he was the only one who didn't think I was crazy for not wanting to believe that my parents abandoned me" she finished, smiling tearfully at the mother she missed more than anything, "he's all I've got" she said softly, and Regina was finding it very difficult to keep her resolve.

"Not anymore" she objected gently.

* * *

**So for those of you who asked for more fluff, and Regina/Stella bonding moments, here it is. Hope you guys like it.**

**If I wake up to many, many reviews I might be inspired to write another chapter tomorrow and update. Reviews inspire me to write so let me know what you all think.**

**This is the revised version, so I tweeked it a little bit here and there.**

**Thank you.**


	16. His Princess In A Shinning Armor

Stella groaned in frustration, as she fought hard not to kill the person on the other end of the phone, "Bob, you know how much I hate those parties. I am either sucking up to people or people are sucking up to me, neither of which I enjoy" she argued, and listened to what he had to say.

"Owning 35% of the company means I get to do as I damn well please, not get dragged over to benefits that I have no desire to attend" she quipped.

She ran her fingers through her hair in exacerbation when she caught sight of Mary Margret entering the diner, and waved her over.

"Bob, for the millionth time, you ran the corporation for decades without my help, and this isn't the first benefit that I blew off; so what's with the groveling for me to show up?" she asked, her mouth dropping at the response she got.

"You expect me to show up after you tell me that this asshole will be there, nah-ah; not happening" she shook her head, as if he could actually see her.

"He's a perverted pig, who only likes talking to my breasts" she deadpanned, and Mary Margret almost spit out the water she had drank as she started laughing. She caught sight of Stella's glare, and tried to calm down, only for it to get worse.

"Bob" Stella whined before she groaned in frustration once more, "fine" she relented, "but keep him away from me, or I am not responsible for what I might do" she warned, before she hung up and rubbed her face with her hands a few times.

"Kill me now" she groaned.

That was the sentence that Regina heard as she walked into the diner for lunch that day, and even though she knew that it was a famous pun that is used when people really don't feel like doing something; she found a weird need within her to go yell at Stella to not even joke about it, after all she nearly did die a few months ago. She decided against doing that so as to not arouse Stella's suspicions; she herself did NOT understand the weird maternal instincts that she had for Stella. The only explanation she could come up with was that it was because Stella was an abandoned child, and she longed to have one of her own; but there was a voice at the back of her head telling her that it was much more than that, but she chose to ignore it. There couldn't be any other reason, could it?

"And who will do my budget reports for me then?" she joked, as she approached the duo.

Stella chuckled at the remark, and Mary Margret shook her head in amusement.

"Well, you can bring me back after the benefit" she suggested.

"What benefit?" she asked.

"There is some corporate benefit tonight in Boston, and she is trying to get out of it" Mary Margret explained.

"Why?"

"Because it involves a bunch of pompous asses, who think they own the world just because they are rich, talking about how every body is out to get a piece of them, and how the entire universe is out to get them. And when that gets old, they start discussing all the stuff that they can buy with their money" she stated in an annoyed voice.

"Do you have to go?" Regina wondered.

"Yes" and "NO" came from Mary Margret and Stella simultaneously, and Regina couldn't help but chuckle at the dirty look Stella sent in Mary Margret's way.

"She's a part owner of the corporation, and I am guessing that among all of that boring talk, some business is accomplished"

"Yes, but I own the Italian division; I hardly do any of the deals locally" she whined.

"Is that the only reason why you don't want to go?" Regina asked.

"Yes, I don't want to deal with a bunch of hypocrites who they think that money automatically means that they are a superior race, and that humanity should be grateful for their existence" she grumbled.

"Anything else?" Mary Margret pressed.

Stella hung her head, "I don't like having to get all dolled up" she almost whispered, dropping her head onto the table when both women erupted in a fit of laughter.

"Oh I didn't see that one coming" Mary Margret giggled.

"You would not have fit in well in Medieval times" Regina stated in amusement, and Stella smirked. If only she knew.

* * *

**FTL-22 Years Ago.**

"Do I have to be there?" Stella whined, looking at her mother through the vanity mirror that she was currently sitting in front of, as Regina styled her hair.

"Yes, you do. You're the princess, and more importantly, a daughter. You need to be there for your father" Regina explained gently.

"But, Mamma, they are always talking about things that I don't understand, and most of them are arrogant. They are not nice, like you and Daddy" she pouted, and Regina did have to agree that she had a point. Leopold himself hated dealing with half of them because of how arrogant they are.

"I know, honey, but your father needs us there. You don't want him to face it alone now, do you?" she asked, already knowing the answer. The one thing that they learned early on about Stella, was that she was overprotective of the people she cares about. So even though it was a bit of a low blow, Regina didn't see much harm in it.

"NO" Stella mumbled dejectedly, "Can I wear a simpler dress then?" she asked hopefully.

"No, baby. The other dresses are not for these kind of meetings, King George is very important and you have to look your absolute best" she said remorsefully.

"I look like a wedding cake" Stella deadpanned, and Regina couldn't stop the laugh before it escaped her lips.

"Mamma, that's not funny" Stella reprimanded, crossing her arms and glaring at her mother's reflection in the mirror.

Regina bent down, and kissed the top of her head, before she wrapped her arms around her little girl, "You don't look like a wedding cake, darling. You look absolutely beautiful" she told her, a small smile tugging on her lips when Stella's features softened and she leaned into her embrace.

* * *

She walked along side her mother, and met Snow as she left her chambers.

"Oh, Snow, I was just on my way to inform you that they are here" Regina said.

"Jason told me, Mother" Snow informed her, and Regina nodded.

"You look beautiful Stell" Snow complimented.

"So do you"

They walked the rest of the long hall way in comfortable silence, with Claude trailing closely behind. Even though he was the head of the guards, when Leopold saw how Stella was comfortable around him, he assigned him to her.

Once they reached the large wooden doors that separated them from Leopold and his guests, both women and the little girl sighed simultaneously.

"Ready?" Regina asked, squeezing Stella's hand reassuringly.

"No" she grumbled, and Regina only chuckled, before she nodded at Claude to open the doors.

Leopold was sitting at the table with both men on his left, as he talked with King George. Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the large wooden doors, and they all looked up at the sound of clicking heels.

Stella's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she looked both men over; the older one approached her mother, and bent down to kiss her hand. She watched him carefully as he did the same to Snow, before he turned to her.

"And you must be Princess Stella" he remarked, and she nodded, as he pressed a kiss to her hand as well. The second his lips touched her hand, chills ran up and down her spine, and her stomach clenched uncomfortably.

"May I introduce you to my son, Prince James" he introduced the younger man who was standing slightly behind him. He was tall, with light brown hair and beautiful green eyes. He too kissed both her mother and her sister's hands, and then crouched down to be at eye level with her. Stella looked between both men, her brows lifting a bit in thought.

"Hello" he said kindly.

"Hi" she greeted softly, but almost distractedly. Something was bugging her, she was getting weird vibs off the two of them, but she couldn't quite understand it. Neither one was magical, and this James person seemed really nice, and not like most royals.

The answer came to her, when instead of taking her hand and kissing it softly like the King did, James instead leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"She's beautiful" he said to her mother, as he stood tall once more.

He was kind, gentle and had a great heart; while George was cold, greedy and didn't have a heart to begin with. James was not George's son.

* * *

They had been sitting at the table for a while now, eating the different courses that were placed in front of them one by one. She had been trying to get her mother's attention to tell her that George was lying, and that his intentions were any thing but good, but failed.

Finally her salvation came; Johanna entered with desert, chocolate cake. Perfect, she thought.

She waited till the cake blocked her from George's view, before she leaned closer to her mother.

"I need to talk to you" she whispered urgently.

Regina opened her mouth to tell her to wait, when she saw the urgency and plea in her eyes. She gave her a questioning look, and Stella only gave her a pleading one.

Snow, who had heard the entire conversation, saw an opportunity to get all three of them out of there. She waited patiently till the servants retreated from the table, before she acted. She pretended to be taking a sip of her wine, only for the glass to slip from her hand, and spilled all over her. She had also made sure that some of the splash would reach Stella's dress.

"Oh my God" she cried.

"Your majesty" the servant rushed towards her.

"No worries, I am fine. It just slipped from my hand, Stella are you alright?" Snow asked, subtly winking at her sister.

Stella and Regina both had to suppress their grins at Snow's actions, and sent her grateful looks.

"I will take the young princess to change, your highness" Johanna told Regina, who shook her head.

"No, I will go with you" she remarked casually, before she got up from her seat and followed both daughters, who were already half way to the door.

Leopold narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the backs of his wife and daughters, knowing very well that this was no accident and that those three were on to something. But for the life of him he couldn't figure it out, but he knew that look in Stella's eyes, something was up.

He turned his head, about to apologize to the duo about what happened, when he caught the look on James's face. Even though the young prince was trying very had to hide it, Leopold easily saw it; after all he spent years seeing it in Regina's eyes whenever she saw a mother with her child; a look of longing, the look of a lost child wanting his mother.

* * *

**Storybrooke-present.**

Stella huffed for probably the hundredth time as she touched up her lip gloss. She gave herself one last look in the mirror before she leaves, and decided that this was as good as it was going to get. She was in a figure hugging scarlet, off shoulder dress that ended mid-thigh and black stilettos. She had a dark shade of make up around her eyes, and dark lipstick. She grabbed the matching clutch that she had laying on the bed, and left the room.

Mary Margret, Ruth and James were all sitting in the living room talking when she walked in to tell them that she was leaving.

Mary Margret and Ruth both gave impressed whistles, while James's lower jaw dropped.

"This is what you call 'I don't like getting all dolled up'" Mary Margret teased.

"You look gorgeous, sweetie" Ruth complimented.

"Well, if he's making me go, I might as well make him regret that he ever did" she gloated, and they both nodded their head approvingly.

"You're actually going to leave the house like that?" James asked.

"Yeah" she replied, a smile tugging at her lips. He had had the exact same reaction only once before; when he saw his mother again after they saved her from George's men.

* * *

**FTL-22 Years Ago.**

James was standing at the window, gazing out over the spreading meadows, his fingers fumbling with one of the buttons on his coat absent mindedly. He didn't know if he had done the right thing by telling them or not, he may have put them and his mother in danger. George's wrath knew no bounds, and if he got wind of what he did before they got to her, then they are all screwed, especially his mother.

But what was he supposed to do? Regina had cornered him and asked him why he was lying to them. George had basically dragged him over, informing him that he was to marry the princess, so that an alliance can be made. The kingdom needed the money, and he had to help provide it, or else his mother would pay the price. But when he saw Snow, he was drawn to her. She wasn't like any of the other royals he met, she was kind, gentle and down to earth. And it didn't take him long to figure out that she had learned that from Regina; after all, no other queen would get up with her daughter to help her change. Actually, any other queen would have been glaring at both Snow and Stella. But not Regina, he saw it in her eyes; her daughters came first and to hell with everything else. He knew that look, because he used to see it all the time in his mother's eyes. That he was the most important thing to her, and nothing else mattered. He had heard the stories about Regina and Stella, but didn't believe how kind and gentle she was till he met her.

So when she cornered him and demanded an explanation, 'the truth this time' she had warned, with Snow standing a few feet away from her; he found that he couldn't lie to them and he didn't want to.

He was expecting them both to get angry after he is done, and they did. They were livid, but at George and not him. They had vowed that they will get his mother out, and he won't have to fear George ever again. Regina told him that the rumors about her magic was true, and that Stella also had it. That it was very powerful, but that she only uses it when she absolutely has to; and saving his mother apparently fell under the category of 'has to'. They had left almost two hours ago to go get her, and there was still no signs of them.

Leopold was also nervous; Regina had pulled him away from George before she left and filled him in on what James or David, as they now know his name to be, told her. He had always heard about how ruthless George was, how his greed and thirst for power knew no bounds, but he never expected this. Regina had told him to keep George occupied and busy, till they get the poor old woman to safety, and then they can deal with him. But that was over two hours ago, and there was still no sign of her, Stella or Snow.

Snow had insisted that she goes with them, 'strength in numbers' she had said, and he had to agree with her. Yes, Stella had her magic and Regina still remembered some of the things she learned, but still. A child, and her mother weren't enough to fend off a bunch of guards. They had no idea how many men were watching the old lady, and Snow was very skilled with a bow. And therefore, even though he hated the fact that he was basically throwing his entire family to the wolves, he knew that if any one was capable of saving that woman, it was them.

He was pulled out of his reverie, when the large wooden doors opened slightly and a grinning Stella skipped in. She was in her riding out fit, with a wide grin adorning her flushed face. She winked pointedly at him, and gave him a thumbs up when George wasn't looking.

King George, who was completely oblivious to the seven year old's existence, was still talking about the good things that will befall both kingdoms as a result of the alliance.

"What makes you think that I am willing to form an alliance with you?" Leopold asked, and that sentence pulled James out of his reverie. He turned around, and found only Stella in the room. She had skipped over to her father and stood next to him.

"As I said..." he started, only to be cut off by Leopold.

"I try very hard to make sure that I am a fair and kind ruler to my people; I don't impose unfair taxes or punishments; I don't rule them through fear, if at any point they see me as unfit to be their leader, I will most certainly step down" he said, "You on the other hand, is none of this. Your people fear you, you think that you own them, you are not fair to them. All you care about is power and money, your thirst knows no bounds. Not even the life of a woman and her son."

King George was speechless and confused, he had no idea why the change of heart. Leopold had already expressed these concerns in the letters they had been exchanging over the course of two years, and he had assured him that they were nothing more than worthless rumors. He opened his mouth to say something, when a woman's voice interrupted him.

"David" she said breathlessly, tears of joy clouding her vision and forming a lump in her throat. David's entire face lit up at the sight of the older woman, and he dashed towards her, crashing into her open arms and nearly knocking her off her feet, if Regina hadn't supported her from the back,

"Mother" he chocked out into her neck, and her only response was to bury her face in his broad shoulders, as she tightened her arms around him.

"I thought I'll never see you again" she stated tearfully, and he could only kiss the top of her head in response. He had thought the same thing, he was even sure of it. But he had never been happier to be wrong. There were too many emotions running through his mind at the moment for him to form any sort of coherent thought, let alone speak.

King George was stunned into silence at the sight of the older woman, who was currently holding her son. He couldn't understand how she was here, or how they knew about her. It was clear that the queen and her daughters had a hand in this; they were all in their riding outfits, and all had satisfied grins on their faces. Especially Regina, who was probably the only one who related to Ruth at this moment.

James lifted his gaze to look at the two brunettes standing behind his mother,and found them both with tears in their eyes. He knew that Regina in particular understood how Ruth felt, and he felt an even greater respect for the woman. She didn't care about her status, she was standing there in a riding outfit, tears cascading down her cheeks, as her eldest daughter leaned her head on her shoulder, and the youngest had her head resting against her stomach, her small arms wrapped around her waist. He tried to find the proper words to express his gratitude, but as he pulled back and looked into his mother's eyes, he found that all he couldn't express his gratitude. No words would ever be enough, and he was in their debt for all of eternity. He tried to say anything, but failed. And so, as much as he really didn't want to, he side stepped his mother and swooped the little girl up in a hug. Her surprised squeal, soon turned into a giggle when he pressed a thankful kiss to her cheek.

Her small hand pressed against his large shoulder as she looked into his eyes, "thank you" was all he could say, and she beamed at him. He saw the understanding in her eyes, and his heart twisted at the thought that an innocent child knew what it felt like to be ripped away from her mother.

"So as you can see" Leopold pulled them all back to earth, "I know about your deception, and the woman is safe now. She and her son are under my protection, and if you so much as even contemplate the idea of hurting them; you will very much regret it" he threatened.

"Your guards are waiting for you in your castle" Regina declared darkly, and his eyes widened at the implication. There is only one way those guards are there, and it doesn't involve galloping horses.

"This isn't over" he promised, his eyes sending daggers at Stella, who was still in David's arms.

"Oh yes it is" Snow was the one to answer him, and he was taken aback by how cold she sounded.

Before he could say another word, Stella waved her hand and he was engulfed in a cloud of smoke.

"Much better" she declared cheerfully, as she clapped her hands together.

* * *

**I know that this chapter is a filler, but I really couldn't find any other way to explain Snow and David's history together. More of that story will be explained, as it becomes relevant. **

**I will take another look at the chapter tomorrow, but since my laptop crashed, I cant be as thorough as I normally am, so forgive any mistakes that you might see.**

**Reviews make me very very happy, so please let me know what you think.**

**Thank you to all who followed, favorited and of course reviewed.**

**To Guest, I am very glad to hear that. No worries , angst will be here soon so enjoy the fluff as you can. Thank you for the review. Hope you enjoy this one too, and let me know what you think.**

**To Artina, Thank you dear, I appreciate that. This is as soon as I could get it up. Hope you like it and let me know what you think.**


	17. What's Behind Curtain Number One?

Joseph whistled as he walked into the Sheriff's station that morning; he loved being the sheriff of a small town. He hardly had to do any hard work, mostly noise complains and what not, nothing serious and he loved it. He wasn't much of a fan of crime, and therefore he liked it when things were quiet. The only big thing that had happened was the attack on Stella Cassidy, and it shook the small town, especially at the news that she was technically dead for almost an hour, and that she lost her baby. But despite his best effort to locate the attacker, no one was arrested. She had claimed that no one held a grudge against her and he didn't have a choice but to believe her. Even when he asked those who dealt with her, they all gave him the same answer. She was a sweet girl, and no one had any bad blood with her.

He did a background check on her, and found nothing as well. She was never arrested for anything, not even in high school, and he couldn't even find a speeding ticket on her record. He asked her if it could be a desgruntled employee, or maybe an old grudge from her past, but she told him that no one knows where she was, except for Neal. And even though she had shot down the idea that it was him, he still looked into his alibi for the night and was pleased to find out that she was right. He had nothing to do with the attack, he was at a benefit held by his law firm, and pictures of him were splashing across all the society pages.

His whistling came to an abrupt end, when he walked into his office and saw a neatly wrapped package laying on top of his desk, without any postal stamps, writings or even marks. He eyed it warily, as he turned it over in his hands, before he ripped the wrapping papers. His surprise and confusion only increased when he found a video tape, the only markings on it being a date written with a sharpie. The date was of the day of Stella's attack.

He shoved the tape into the VCR and his eyes narrowed dangerously at the footage.

* * *

Stella had just turned the corner into Mifflin street, when she saw the sheriff's cruiser parked outside her mother's house. Her face paled almost immediately and her heart rate increased significantly at the idea that Travis had beat up her mother so bad, that someone actually heard and called Joseph. She was comforted a little by the lack of ambulance, or commotion outside of the house, and as she gotten closer, she was very happy when Pandora didn't start barking like crazy whenever her mother was in danger.

Before she had reached the beginning of the foot-path, the front door swung open and out walked both Joseph and James.

"Is everything alright?" she asked frantically.

"Yeah, we were just asking Travis a few questions" Joseph replied.

"About what?"

"Your attack"

"You think he was behind it?" she feigned ignorance and surprise, even though she was sure it was him.

"Well, no, but we found a security tape from a different part of the board walk that put him there at the time of the attack, so we thought that maybe he might have seen something, but he said he didn't even see you there" Joseph answered.

"And?" she pressed, she knew that he was holding something back.

"He's lying" James exclaimed.

"But we cant prove it" Joseph stated dejectedly.

* * *

**FTL-22 Years Ago.**

Stella and Snow both hurried out of the dinning room, and it didn't take long before they both heard the clicking of their mother's heals. They stopped and turned around, waiting for her to fall into pace with them. Once they were both within arm reach of her, she grabbed their arms and dragged them into the nearest room, and closed the door behind them.

"What are you two up to?" she asked sternly.

"He's lying" Stella exclaimed.

"Who is?" Regina asked.

"James; he's not the King's son and I don't even think his name is James. He wasn't raised a prince, and most importantly he wasn't raised by George. He feels very guilty about it, and he hates the fact that he is lying but for some reason he has to do it" she explained hastily and in one breath.

"What makes you say that?" Snow wondered.

"There was a look of guilt in his eyes when King George introduced him as his son, it got worse once he said his name was James. He was very nice to me, and not patronizing like the rest of them. He didn't feel like a royal to me"

"Stella" Regina started, only to be interrupted by her 6 year old.

"Mamma, I am sure that he is, please" she pleaded and Regina sighed. She knew Stella had sharp instincts when it came to people, and it was almost always correct. It had proven that way a few times her father nearly made business deals with Dukes or Lords of neighboring lands. She would tell them that it was bad, or that they are deceptive. It only took the first time when they didn't listen to her, and she turned out to be right, for them to trust her instincts later on.

"Well, then I guess we need to talk to him without his father, or whoever King George may be to him" Regina exclaimed.

"I think I may have an idea" Snow mused.

* * *

James was trying hard to keep track of what both Kings were discussing, just in case one of them directs a question at him, but was finding it increasingly difficult. He was no prince, he had no idea how to run a kingdom, and he sure as hell didn't know how to make alliances. But what bothered him the most was the basis of the alliance, he was to marry Snow. He had abhorred the idea initially when George suggested it, not only was it arranged marriage, it was deceptive on his part to let the king and his daughter believe that he was a prince.

His guilt over the deception increased when he met Leopold face to face; he was very kind and humble. Not like most of the royals he had had the pleasure of dealing with in the year he spent with King George, and most certainly not like George himself.

Leopold seemed to care deeply about his family, the love and pride that appeared on his face when the three brunettes entered the room magnified the ache he felt in his heart for his mother. He longed to see that look in her eyes again when he would enter the house.

He thought that Snow would probably be spoiled and a nag, but he was more than happy when he was proven wrong. Yes, his guilt tripled when he saw how kind, warm, gentle, loving and humble she was, but his hesitation to marry her had also decreased. Something about her was different, she wasn't shallow like the rest of him, there was more to her than meets the eye.

And when he had talked with Regina during diner, he immediately knew that the queen, even though she wasn't Snow's biological mother, but she had a great hand in how the brunette princess turned out. Especially when he saw her with Stella, she was a mother first, and a queen second.

He had exchanged a few words with Snow during diner as well, and his idea about her was confirmed. She was well read, she was involved lightly in how her father runs the kingdom, kind to the servants and not condescending, and a very loving sister to the younger princess.

His poor attempt at following the conversation, and his own thoughts was cut when the door opened, and the brunette in question walked towards them. She had a warm smile on her face, "Mother, Stella and I were thinking of taking a walk around our gardens, care to join us?" she asked politely and he was very surprised to see that he was currently unable to locate his voice. Her voice was soft, velvety even and it held so much warmth and humility, that he found it very difficult to think straight.

He opened his mouth to reply, when Leopold saved him from the effort of actually having to think of something to say, "That is a wonderful idea, darling." he exclaimed happily, and James's only sign that he had heard what she said, was him getting up and extending his arm for her to take. She gladly slid her hand around his bicep, and his brain short-circuited again at her touch as they both started walking towards the door.

"Thank you for saving me in there" he said and she chuckled.

"No problem, I know how boring it can get" she remarked kindly.

Instead of heading for the door that led to the garden, he found her leading him to a room. Once the doors opened, and they went in, he discovered that it was the library. The Queen and young Princess were both standing a few feet away, and both turned around at the sound of the door opening.

"James, it has come to my attention that you and your father are planning to deceive my husband, and I cant allow that" Regina deadpanned, and his face paled as his jaw dropped.

"But before I form any judgments, I am giving you now the chance to explain everything to me, and I want the truth this time please" she hissed and he gulped.

He debated what to do for a few seconds, but one glare out of the queen and he relented.

Maybe they could help, maybe they will be able to find a way to save him from the predicament that he had fallen in. He even dared to hope that maybe one day they might let him see his mother again, even in the dark of the night.

* * *

**So I know that this is short, I had intended it to be longer, but I have to go out to diner now and have no idea when will I be back.**

**Once again, I see that people are reading the story, but still not reviewing as much.**

**Thank you to those who read, followed and most importantly reviewed. I appreciate it greatly.**

**I will try to update again tonight or tomorrow, depending on how exhausted I am when I get back.**

**Reviews make me very very happy so please leave one, thank you.**

**It was brought to my attention that I have said Stella's murder instead of attack, so thank you rebakathy.**


	18. Rescue Me

Regina sat at her desk, staring at the paper in her hand but not really seeing it. Her mind had other things to think, and it had kept her up all night. James and Joseph had knocked on her door the night before, and asked to talk to Travis. She of course let him in, and they let her stay there while they talked. She was shocked when they asked him about the night of Stella's attack, and if he had seen anything. He had denied knowing anything about it, and claimed that he was at his cannery throughout the night, and returned home late. She confirmed the time of his return, after all he had basically raped her that night, so she knew EXACTLY what time he returned. His story changed when they told him that they had him on tape at the boardwalk around the time of the attack. He said that sometimes he goes for walks before he returns home, and that it has become second nature to him that he doesn't necessarily consider it as something worth mentioning.

Joseph and James didn't seem convinced, and honestly, neither was she. If he had been at the boardwalk at the time of the attack, then he should'v seen someone leaving there, or at least heard a commotion. Unless...but no, it cant be; but then it makes sense.

Stella had walked in on him about to rape her that day, and didn't back down under his glare. On the contrary, she held her grounds and he was the one who had to leave. His tone had a victorious malice to it as he threatened her; he said that if she told anyone that they will both regret it. Is that what he meant? That he will try to kill them before they even get a chance to defend her? He had told her that she was his, and that no one was going to dictate what he does to her. But it couldn't be. Yes he was smug that night, but maybe that was to prove to her that not even Stella can save her, just in case she thought she was safe.

But then the final piece fell neatly into place; he hasn't touched her since Stella was released from the hospital.

* * *

Ruth was sitting on the couch reading a book, and trying to hide the amused smirk as she watched Stella pace while yelling into her cell phone. She was yelling in Italian, so she couldn't really understand what was being said, but a pissed off Stella was quite entertaining. Her face was red, her eyes narrowed in irritation and her jaw clenched tightly, while her free arm moved frantically in all directions. In Ruth's opinion, she was one step away from stomping her foot like an insolent child, and it would still look adorable.

Pandora was curled under the window, her eyes closed when suddenly her ears perked up. Her eyes flew open and she lifted herself onto her front limbs, moving her head closer to the window. Neither Ruth nor Stella had noticed any of this; the former enjoying herself as she watched the latter through an adorable temper tantrum.

Said tantrum was abruptly interrupted by Pandora's loud, angry and almost threatening bark. Ruth looked quizzically at the now-hysterical husky, while Stella whipped around angrily. She opened her mouth to yell at the husky, when she noticed her stance and how frantic her barking was. She was on all four limbs now, and Stella knew that stance all too well. Pandora hardly uses it with anyone in Storybrooke, except with one person only. And this frantic barking only happened once more.

Her angry features immediately turned into ones of horror, and she all but hung up her phone. When Pandora saw her making her way to the door, she ran after her and bolted out the door the second it was wide enough to let her pass. Stella had been trying to deny the meaning of Pandora's behavior, holding onto whatever hope she had that what she had in mind was not true. That hope shattered when Pandora sprinted towards her mother's house, her barking growing louder and angrier with every inch she closed. Stella's fast pace turned into a light jog, with a very confused Ruth trailing behind her.

Stella had barely reached the end of the footpath, when a scream echoed through the dark, empty street. Both women froze in their tracks, "Ruth, call James" Stella yelled urgently, as she broke into a sprint across the street and up her mother's footpath.

Pandora was already scratching madly at the door, as she barked. She tried to open the door, and groaned in frustration when she found it locked. She started banging desperately on it, "REGINA" she yelled, she could distinctly now hear that bastard's angry voice as he bellowed at her mother, and she didn't need to see what is happening to know what he was doing to her, she had lived it.

Another scream tore through the night, and the words died in her throat.

"STELLA" she heard her mother scream, and that was the last straw. She threw the door open with magic, and sprinted in after Pandora. She found her mother curled up on the ground with Travis towering over her, as he kicked her roughly. He was about to land another kick, when he suddenly found himself airborne. He landed a couple of feet away from Regina, his eyes widening in shock. Pandora wasted no time in attacking him, and Stella skidded to her knees next to the now unconscious Regina.

"NO, no, no. Please, no. Regina, wake up" she pleaded, as she gently shook her. Her eyes landed in the trail of blood, and when she moved Regina onto her back, she found the source. A gash on the side of her head, bleeding profusely and making her hair stick.

She hadn't even noticed that Travis had thrown Pandora a few feet away from him, and was now back on his feet. She was reaching for what appears to be a scarf to try and stop the bleeding, when she felt someone grab her hair roughly. She saw Pandora once more running in their direction, and biting his leg, making him scream.

He still had an iron grip on her hair, and when she turned to the side to get him off of her, she caught sight of the kitchen knife that he was about to stab Pandora with.

"NO" she screamed, just as a shot rang followed by Travis's pained cry. He stumbled back a few feet, letting go of her hair in the process. She looked at the door, and found a very livid James standing with his gun drawn.

"Stay back" he barked, "Get down on your knees" he ordered, as he moved in slowly towards him.

"Stella" Ruth called frantically.

"Call an ambulance" she said, almost on the verge of tears.

"They're on their way" Mary Margret now said, as she crouched down next to the distraught Stella and unconscious Regina.

"She's breathing" Ruth remarked in relief, but Stella wasn't paying attention anymore.

* * *

**I know that this is a short chapter, but if I had kept going it would've been too long, so I decided to split it in half. **

**Let me know what you all think of it.**

**The next part will probably be in tomorrow.**

**Thank you to all who read, followed and reviewed.**


	19. Welcome To The Real World

Whale ran out of the hospital, just as the ambulance screeched to a halt, followed by Stella's car. All three women jumped out and watched as the paramedics lowered a still unconscious Regina from the ambulance. Whale started asking questions, the paramedics answering them the best they can, but Stella wasn't paying attention to any of that. Her eyes were staring unseeing at her unconscious mother; she looked pale, and her hair was still sticky from the blood. She followed them solemnly down the corridors till the nurses stopped her, she saw their lips moving and knew that they were talking to her but she wasn't really listening to what was being said.

She had no idea how long she stood there, leaning against the door frame, and staring at a spot on the white floor. She was thinking about everything and nothing, when James's voice pulled her back to earth.

She turned around, and found him hurrying to where they were all standing, "How is she?" he asked.

"They still haven't told us anything" Mary Margret replied solemnly.

"Where is he?" her voice was flat, and dangerously neutral.

"Joseph is watching him" he answered simply, but didn't know if she heard him. Her head hadn't moved from its position against the door frame, and her eyes were still staring blankly at the spot.

"You need to call your father, she'll need a lawyer" Ruth remarked, and Mary Margret nodded as she pulled her phone out.

"I also called her mother, she's on her way" James added, and that seemed to do the trick with Stella. Her head whipped around and she glared at him.

"You called her mother?" she hissed, and he was surprised at the hostility in her voice. Shouldn't she be happy that Regina will have her mother by her side when she wakes up? Granted, Cora wasn't the kindest, or most affectionate mother, but Regina was still her daughter, and she needs to be by her side.

"Yeah, she should be here any minute now" he replied almost hesitantly.

Stella wanted to scream; how could he call the woman who is responsible for all that is happening at the moment? Hasn't her mother been through enough? Now he went and called the woman who will probably convince Regina not to press charges and maybe even go back to Travis, to protect the image of the mayor.

But she knew she couldn't; he had no recollection of their lives, and therefore didn't know the extent of Cora's cruelty. Only she did. She pushed herself off the wall, and walked away. If James was right, then her dear grandmother should be entering the hospital right about now, and she wanted to have a word with her first.

True to her suspicions, she spotted Cora hurrying towards the entrance, and so she picked up her pace. Cora faltered slightly in her steps when she saw the seething Stella heading her way. She tried to side-step her, but Stella was faster. She grabbed her arm, and wordlessly dragged her away from the entrance.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Let me go, my daughter needs me" she spat, only for Stella to ignore her.

She started to panic slightly when she saw Stella pulling her to an abandoned alley behind the hospital, could it be that she finally snapped and was going to kill her? After all, no one can leave Storybrooke but her, and therefore she can get away with it.

Her eyes widened when she felt the familiar, yet so distant feel of smoke surround the two of them, and before she could question it, everything went black.

* * *

An unsuspecting Neal was standing at the kitchen counter preparing a light dinner for himself, when he caught the sight of the familiar purple smoke.

"Look who finally decided to dro..." the words died in his throat, when he caught sight of a furious Stella and a surprised Cora. Before he could even think of anything else to say, Stella threw Cora onto the couch, and moved towards her. Neal, knowing all too well what the look in Stella's eyes meant, abandoned the unfinished meal and shot towards the two women. He stood between them both, knowing all too well that Stella wont risk his life. He wanted to understand what is happening, and as long as Stella was throwing fireballs at Cora, who probably couldn't dodge, he wasn't going to get any answers out of her.

"What is going on?" he demanded, both his arms stretched beside him to keep both women at arm's length, literally.

"That is what I would like to know, my daughter is in the hospital and she needs me" Cora yelled, and Neal's heart sank. The bastard finally did it, but when he looked at Stella, he didn't find enough anger to make him believe that Regina was dead. Yes, she was practically vibrating with rage, but she also looked like a mother lion. Meaning she was trying to protect Regina, and Regina has to be alive in order for that to work.

"Needs you?" Stella spat, "you are the reason why she's in the hospital right now" she yelled, "why the hell would you have her marry him? If you were so desperate to get rid of me, and the damned curse was all about that, then why didn't you just left married to dad? Why didn't you just let her be single? Why him?" Her voice was getting angrier and louder with every word, but Neal easily spotted the pain and held back tears. She had moved closer to Cora, only for Neal to halt her in her tracks.

"Don't flatter yourself, you think I gave up magic and power so I can get rid of you. OH no, the fact that you didn't even end up in Storybrooke was an added bonus. Yes, I wasn't going to leave you with her, but believe me I was very surprised when you weren't there for me to create your life as I damn well please. This was about power. Regina was meant to be queen, but you stood in the way of that. So I brought us all here so she can fulfill her destiny." Cora shot back angrily.

"Then why him? It didn't raise any red flags when you saw that he was locked up in the dungeon of the castle? If you wanted her to have all the power then why the hell did you make him her husband?" Stella screamed.

"I didn't" Cora cried.

"What?"

"I never intended for Regina to marry Travis, hell I never intended for her to marry anyone. I was as surprised as you were when I went to knock on her door, and he opened up."

"You cast the curse, you gave everybody their lives; how could you have not known?!" Stella yelled.

"Because I didn't create everybody's lives"

"Sort of like clicking standard settings on an app" Neal concluded, and she nodded. Stella was pacing behind him, her fingers tangled in her hair. Her chest was heaving with labored, angry breaths and her face as red as fresh spilled blood. Her eyes were dark, and slightly narrowed, and Neal knew that she was going to break down into tears soon enough.

"Why would the curse marry them, if you didn't create it. If you had left his life the way it was, then he should'v been in jail and not married to my mother" she barked.

"Repercussions" Neal stated, and both women looked at him questioningly.

"Repercussions?" Stella repeated, and he nodded.

"Yeah, Cora said that this curse was about Regina having power and fulfilling her destiny; but that wasn't all that it was about. Regina had already become queen in her realm, and Leopold was letting her take charge of many things already. So why would Cora cast the curse? Moreover, why would she separate her from Leopold?" he questioned, and judging by the look of pure horror on Cora's face, he was nailing it.

"Neal, I am not in the mood for riddles" Stella said impatiently.

"Cora wanted Regina to turn to her; this wasn't just about Regina gaining power, this was about Regina needing Cora. That is why she separated her from Leopold and that is why Regina ended up with Travis" he explained.

"If she was in an abusive relationship then she will be trapped and isolated by the abusive husband. No friends, leaving only Cora as her confidant and only person on her side and looking out for her" Stella finished in horror.

Cora was speechless by then, they had managed to figure out her entire plan and no one even knew where she was. Stella had a murderous look in her eyes, and since she had her magic back, she could easily kill her and get away with it.

"You wanted her to be alone, to be miserable. That is what was bothering you all those years ago in the Enchanted Forest, that she had found happiness, that she didn't need you" Stella listed, "And so you decided to rip away everything she ever cared about in hopes of trapping her, hoping that she will turn to you for help and advice on how to handle the pain" her voice had gone from a soft, disbelieving whisper to an angry roar.

"I'm her mother, I only want what is best for her; but you, you were always ruining things. And this time it is no better, look at the mess that you have done. How are the people supposed to respect her when they learn that she couldn't even defend herself against her husband? You created a scene and it might cost her everything she had" Cora barked, and Neal's jaw dropped. He knew Cora was cold, but this was a new level. Her daughter was in the hospital after getting beat up by her husband, and all she cares about is appearances.

He could almost feel Stella's anger bouncing off of her skin, and knew that her temper had reached its limits. He felt her angry footsteps as she approached them both, and turned around just in time to catch her before she reached her.

"You heartless bitch" she screamed angrily, and Neal did a mental happy dance when he saw the fear in Cora's eyes. He wrapped his arms tightly around Stella, and restrained her hands. She was wiggling in his arms, trying to get to Cora but he didn't let her.

"Just send her back to Storybrooke" he ordered gently. He felt her start to shake, as the tears started making its way down her cheeks. He felt her hand twitch within his, and saw Cora getting engulfed in the smoke. No sooner did she disappear from sight, did Stella completely fall apart.

Her knees buckled beneath her, and her quiet sobs became loud wailing. He didn't try to hold her up, or even calm her down. He just guided her slowly and gently onto the floor, and wrapped his arms around her. She turned around, and buried her face in his broad chest as the sobs wracked her body. She punched his chest a couple of times in anger, and he didn't stop her. He just rested his head on top of hers, and held her as tight as he could.

She had only broken down once before like that, and it was also in his arms. Even with everything that happened to them later on, she never allowed herself to breakdown like that. Only that one night.

* * *

**Boston- 22 Years Ago.**

A 14 year old Neal was sitting at the table at the 5th foster home he had in the last 6 months, eating a sandwich that Mrs. Rosewood had made him, when the doorbell rang.

"This must be Terri and the new girl" Mrs. Rosewood remarked, as she wiped her hand on the apron she was wearing before taking it off, and heading for the door.

He heard the distant sounds of greetings, and decided to go check it out. He made his way quietly to where they were standing near the door, and saw Mr and Mrs. Rosewood talking to Teri, the social worker, who also happens to be his. He looked to the right a little, and saw a small brunette girl sitting quietly on the living room couch. She was sniffling quietly, and occasionally bringing her hand up to her face, wiping away at the tears. She couldn't be older than eight, and his heart broke when he saw how terrified she looked. He was about to head her way, when something Teri said made the blood run cold in his veins.

"She thinks she lived in the Enchanted Forest, and that she came here because of the evil witch's curse. The psychiatrist believes that she was abandoned by her parents, and that the shock was too much for her small mind to handle that it created this story to justify it. We found no missing person's report fitting her description..." the rest of the sentence fell on deaf ears as he made his way over to the terrified little girl. He crouched down in front of her, "hi" he greeted softly.

He had never seen so much sadness, pain, and fear in anyone's eyes, let alone an eight year, and it made his heart twist. She had beautiful brown eyes, that were bloodshot from all the tears. Her face was red, and her beautiful round cheeks were tear-stained. Her lips were trembling as she hiccuped in an effort to catch her breath, "Hello" she whispered.

"My name is Neal, what is yours?" he asked gently.

"Stella" she hiccuped.

"Why are you crying?" even though he knew exactly why, but he wanted her to tell him. He wanted to try and take some of her pain away, it wasn't easy when people didn't believe you, and even worse when they start throwing accusations left and right.

"I want my Mamma"

"Where is she?" he reached up and tried to wipe the tears, only for new ones to replace them immediately.

"The evil witch took her away, but they wont believe me and they don't want to look for her" she blurted out almost hysterically.

"Why?"

"Because they think I'm making it up, they're saying Mamma left me on the side of the road, but I know she didn't" she cried, and he wrapped his arms around her shaking body. His heart twisted when she curled up into his arms, and it broke with every sob she released.

"I believe you, Stella. But the people in this world don't believe in magic, they don't think that it exists, and that is why they are saying that your mother abandoned you" he explained gently.

"I want my Mamma" she sobbed.

"I know" he kissed the top of her head, "And I am sure she wants you too, but it might take some time before you two find each other again" he soothed, "and in the meantime, you cant tell people about where you came from for real. It has to be kept a secret"

"Then what do I say when they ask about Mamma?" she asked, looking up at him, and that was the question he dreaded. He knew that she had to lie to protect herself, otherwise she wont survive in the system. But judging by how she was heartbroken over the accusations, telling her that she has to be the one to actually say them was going to be tough.

"That you don't remember her" he finally said.

"You want me to lie and say that I never had one? Or that she threw me away?" she questioned, and when he nodded she shook her head.

"No, I don't want them to think that Mamma abandoned me, they'll think that she was a bad mother and she wasn't" she argued.

"I know, and I am not saying that you should believe them. I am saying just tell them what they want to hear, so you can look for her all you want without them watching your ever move. And I promise you, I will help you every step of the way"

Her only reply was to bury her face in his chest again, and sob. It broke his heart, but he knew it was necessary. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and watched as the Rosewoods signed the papers for her and Teri leave.

He had been in this world for 6 month, and he hand't bothered with school. He didn't think he had any reason to try to make something of himself, there was no one around to be proud of him, and no one would care. But his reason was now curled up in his arms, sobbing. He knew that he had to try and be something, for both of their sakes.

She had cried herself to sleep, and since the Rosewoods were cheap, they had them sleeping in the same room, with her on the couch. So keeping her in his bed throughout the night wasn't that hard. And that was the night that he had sworn that he wont leave her side, or let her face this world on her own. He saw the determination in her eyes to find her mother and prove her innocent of the crimes they were throwing her way, and knew that she wont stop till she finds her. And he was determined to help her ever step of the way.

* * *

**Boston-Present.**

They had been sitting like this for almost an hour, neither moving and neither saying a word. He had his back resting against the couch, with Stella sitting between his legs, her back resting on one of his knees that was bent behind her, her head on his chest. She had stopped sobbing a few minutes ago and was only sniffling quietly, her hand balled up around the fabric of his shirt.

"She screamed my name" her voice was barely an audible whisper that he nearly thought that he imagined it, "she was on the floor and he was kicking her" she continued, and his response was to tighten his arms around her.

"You got her out of there, and now she has too many witnesses who saw what happened. He wont be able to get out of this one"

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Stella walked back into the hospital, and found them all exactly where she left them, with her father and Cora now added into the mix. Cora visibly swallowed when she saw Stella heading towards them, but didn't dare say a word.

"Any news?" she asked.

"She's awake" Whale's voice answered from behind her, "and she's asking for you"

* * *

**Here you go, the next chapter. I know that this was supposed to be two days ago, but I wasn't supposed to be at work, and then I was called in. Hope you all enjoy it and please let me know what you think. Reviews make me very very happy.**

**To Artina, thank you dear, hope you like this one too.**

**To Mere-Brennan, well I do like to tease, but I certainly didn't mean for it to last this long. Glad you liked it :)**

**To Metope, sorry hun, had a dinner party and could barely keep my eyes open after they left.**


	20. Then And Now

"What?" Cora shrieked, and Stella had to suppress the smirk.

"She asked to talk to Ms. Cassidy" Whale repeated, his tone slightly mocking.

"NO one is seeing her until I do" a more authoritive voice all but ordered. Stella's eyes widened, she didn't really need to see his face to know, but she was pleased when she saw that he still had the same effect on her. Her skin crawled and she almost shuddered. She hated this guy since the first time she laid eyes on him. Little did she know that her hate was about to reach mythical proportions.

"And who the hell are you?" she demanded.

"Albert Spencer, the ADA. I need to talk to her before you two get your stories straight" he spat, and her heart sank.

"Spencer?" she whispered, but didn't receive an answer, or at least not a direct one. Her father jumped to his feet, and got up in George's face.

"You cant be the one to trial this case, he's your son, that's a conflict of interests" he said through gritted teeth.

Stella's head was slightly spinning, King George was Albert Spencer, and he was Travis's father; now THAT she did not see coming.

"If you will all excuse me, I would like to cut in on this turf war. Mayor Mills is _my_ patient, and personally I don't want _anyone_ seeing her, but she requested Ms. Cassidy ad therefore; she is getting Ms. Cassidy and only her until further notice. There will be no questioning her until I say she can handle it" Whale commanded,and the only one who wasn't grateful was Spencer but no one in the small waiting room cared.

"I'm staying here to make sure that this rule is followed" James remarked in a no nonsense tone.

"We all are" Mary Margret added defiantly, and Cora wanted to scream. This was the complete opposite of what she wanted or needed for that matter, but since it was succeeding in irritating the hell out of George, she decided to be furious about it later.

"I'll show you to her room" he then said to Stella, before he turned around and left the room. Without another word, Stella shoved past George, and since he wasn't expecting her to do it, he had to take a few steps back to regain his balance. His temper was ever so high at the slight grins he saw on the faces of those left in the room.

They walked in silence down the hallways, neither of them saying a word. Both lost in their own thoughts, till Whale finally slowed down his pace and turned to face her.

"Try not to work her up too much" he said gently, and she nodded in understanding. He signaled with his head towards the room, "thank you" she said gratefully.

She took slow, tentative steps towards the door and stopped with her hand on the knob. She waited for a few seconds to compose herself, before she turned it and pushed the door open, slowly and softly. Regina was on her side, with her back to the door. Stella stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. When Regina didn't make a move to indicate that she felt her presence, she started walking further into the room, to try and get into her peripheral vision.

It worked, as soon as she was able to see her mother's face, she turned her head and Stella's heart constricted. She hadn't seen her mother so broken like this in so long, that she had forgotten the amount of pain it brought her. The last time being when she accused her of not wanting her on her birthday; but she had promised herself that day that her mother will never feel like that again, but it appears that this was one promise she failed to keep.

"I'm sorry" Regina whispered dejectedly, and Stella was baffled.

She was expecting anything to come out of her mother's mouth but this, "Sorry?" she repeated in surprise, and Regina only nodded.

Tears were starting to make their way down her cheeks, and her lips were trembling. It was obvious now that she had been crying before Stella came in. She was curled up on her side on the bed, and the sight broke Stella's heart. She looked so small and vulnerable, and right now she saw more regret in her eyes than she had ever seen before. She didn't know what she was apologizing for, but she didn't care. If by somehow Regina thinks that this was her fault, that she brought it all onto herself, then she will march herself over to the station, and beat the hell out of Travis right now.

"It was him" Regina said as a way of explaining, and Stella furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Travis was the one who attacked you" she chocked out, and Stella's eyes widened in horror.

"What?" was the only thing Stella could muster, how the hell did she figure it out?

"After James and Joseph talked to him, it got me thinking and it made sense. He was smug that night when he returned home, and threatened that if I told anyone about him that they will regret it. The next morning I hear that you got attacked. You stayed in the house for two weeks, and he didn't come near me once. He completely backed off of me after that, he didn't hit me once" she was sobbing by then.

Stella knew that the last statement didn't necessarily include raping, but she was glad nonetheless. Her mother's sobs were breaking her heart, and before she could stop herself, she climbed into the bed next to her and took a hold of her hands.

"He was the one who attacked me, Regina, not you" she soothed gently, "you have nothing to be sorry for"

"He attacked you because of me, because he thought that I told you about what he had been doing" she argued.

"No, he attacked me because I had threatened him that day to back off of you" Stella retorted, and Regina finally noticed the lack of surprise in her tone.

"You knew it was him all along?" she asked and Stella nodded.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she almost accused.

"Because I couldn't prove it, and then I started working for you and I saw that there weren't any marks on you so I was glad that he backed off" she explained softly.

"You were willing to let him get away for me?" she asked.

"I took my victories as they came" she said simply.

"I had no idea" she cried, and it finally dawned on Stella.

"Regina, did you confront him?" she whispered in horror and the look Regina gave her was her answer, "Oh my God, that's why he lost it. He..."

"He didn't want me to go to the Sheriff" she finished, and Stella closed her eyes in pain.

"I'm so sorry" she apologized again, and Stella's eyes flew open.

"Listen to me, you have _nothing_ to be sorry for. He was the one who attacked me, not you" she said firmly, and saw how desperate her mother wanted to believe her words, but the guilt was too much. She had only seen that amount of desperation once before, and it was directed at her.

She did the only thing she could think of to soothe her mother; she moved closer to her, rested her forehead against hers, and held tight to her hand.

* * *

**FTL-22 Years Ago.**

Regina pulled her robe around her and headed for her daughter's chamber. She pushed the door open, and heard her giggle from behind the privacy screen. She was halfway into the room, when the little girl padded out from behind it, followed by Johanna who was still untangling her hair from the gown.

"Mamma" the girl squealed in delight, as she ran to her mother. Regina immediately bent over and scooped her up into her arms.

"I'll take it from here Johanna" she said gently,and the older maid nodded.

"Happy Birthday, princess" she said softly, smiling at the wide grin the six-year old gave her.

"Thank you" she said brightly.

Regina had her forehead pressed against Stella's temple, the words from earlier that morning echoing in her head. She wanted to talk to her about it, but they got distracted when she had to explain what a birthday was, and then the gifts, then getting ready for the ball. She had been thinking about a way to re-open the subject all day, and she finally found it.

Stella now rested her head on her shoulder, and Regina felt her yawn, "Someone's sleepy" she cooed, smiling when she felt her shake her head defiantly.

"I'm just a little tired" she corrected, and Regina chuckled, "I'm sure, it was a big day for you"

"Yeah" she agreed sleepily.

"Did you like the party?"

"Yes, but I didn't like the other royal people, they aren't nice like you and Daddy. They're like statues" she commented, and Regina laughed.

"Well, you got many presents out of them" she reminded.

"Yeah, but I like the ones that I got from you, Daddy, Snow, Johanna and Claude more" she remarked, as she pulled back.

"Well, how can you tell that you like my present more if I still haven't given it to you?" Regina argued.

"I thought Phantom was from you and Daddy" she stated in confusion and Regina shook her head softly.

"No, he's your Daddy's present" she stated, as she sat into the rocking chair. She pulled a silver box with a blue gem in the middle of its lid, and handed it to Stella, who was saddling her legs.

"Open it" she instructed gently, and the little girl complied.

It was lined with royal blue velvet, and it had a gold chain with a gold ring, the ring had an Emerald adorning it. It was the ring Daniel had given her before he died, and she thought that it was fit that Stella would have something of him. That is what she was talking to Leopold about when Stella heard her say that she didn't want her; she had meant that she didn't want her there when they talk about it.

"I had this when I was young, and I want you to have it"

Stella pulled the necklace out of the box, and gave her the box back. Regina could see the way Stella's eyes shone, "it's beautiful" she said in awe, before she tried to put it on. Regina took it from her, and clasped it around her neck.

"Thank you" she said, before she leaned over and rested her head on Regina's chest, snuggling into her arms as much as she can.

"Stella" she called.

"Yes"

"That day in the forest, how did you know who I was?" she asked.

Stella stiffened slightly, and pulled back to look into her mother's eyes. She was expecting to see some form of accusation, but she only found curiosity.

"From my dreams" she said hesitantly, she was half expecting Regina not to believe her, but she only gave her a confused expression.

"I always had those dreams of a woman who looked exactly like you; she would be holding me and saying that she loved me. I always thought that she was the one who left, Travis's wife I mean, and then I saw you" she explained, and Regina smiled.

"I used to come into your room every night, and hold you. You always looked so peaceful when you slept, and sometimes your father would have to literally take you from my arms, and drag me to bed to get some sleep. Otherwise I could stay up all night just watching you sleep" she reminisced and Stella grinned brightly at her.

"Really?"

"Yes. I loved you since the moment I knew you were inside of me, and I kept counting the days till you're born so I can hold you. I wanted you and loved you before I even saw you; I didn't go to sleep after you were born, even though I was exhausted, because I couldn't take my eyes off of you" she said softly, "so no matter what happens, no matter what you hear, no matter what anyone says, don't even think that I don't want you, or that I abandoned you. You are my baby girl, and that will never change, no matter how old you get. Don't even believe that I don't want you, there is always another explanation" she pleaded desperately. Stella's words that morning cut through her heart like a thousand daggers, but the fact that her baby believed that was what hurt the most. She never wanted her to feel that way again, and so she poured her heart and soul into it and hoped that Stella would know how sincere she was.

Stella's response was to lean forward and press a kiss to her mother's cheek. Regina leaned into the kiss, and pressed one of her own into Stella's hair once she rested her head on her chest again.

* * *

**So here's the next chapter, next one should be up sometime this week.**

**Let me know what you guys thought of it, reviews make me very very happy.**

**Thank you to all who read, followed, and of course reviewed.**


	21. It Takes A Village

Ruth and Mary Margret both stuck to their words, and stayed in the waiting area of the hospital. James was now camped out outside Regina's room, and Stella still hadn't left. Cora had tried to go in a few minutes earlier, but was stopped by Whale.

"I'm her mother" she growled.

"I appreciate that, Mrs. Mills; but your daughter has requested that no one disturbs her" Whale informed her.

"Ms. Cassidy is still in there" she argued.

"Per your daughter's request. Like I said, she's the patient and she's a mature, adult; whatever she wants, she gets" Whale said simply, before walking away. Cora took a look at where James was sitting in a plastic chair, and knew that there was no way he will let her in.

And so, realizing that her options would be sitting in a room with Ruth and Mary Margret for the rest of the night on the hopes that her daughter will ask for her, knowing that it probably wont happen; or going home, getting some proper rest and returning in the morning; she quietly but arrogantly stomped out of the hospital.

"Good riddance" Ruth mumbled under her breath, and Mary Margret chuckled weakly.

Mary Margret was now asleep on the small, two persons couch in the room, while Ruth paced the length of the small room. Even though she didn't know the mayor all that well, and this wasn't really her place to be worried, she couldn't help the pang in her heart. She was a mother, and seeing any body subjected to that kind of pain and suffering made her sick.

Finally, she decided that she couldn't take it any longer, and quietly left the room. The night nurse was sitting at her desk, going through some files, and Ruth smiled politely at her. She walked down the long corridor, smiling softly at her exhausted son.

"I figured you would've fallen asleep by now" she remarked gently, and he shook his head.

"I cant, even though I know he's in custody, I still cant seem to be able to rest until the whole fiasco with his father is solved" he said.

"Well, Leopold said that they were gonna go to the judge in the morning, and see what can be done" she stated, and he nodded.

"Stella still inside?" she asked, and he nodded once more.

"This girl never ceases to amaze me" she said in awe, and he had to admit that she had a point.

He didn't object when she moved towards the door, and opened it as slow as possible careful not to make a sound. For the second time this year, the sight of Stella and Regina sleeping soundly next to each other melted her heart. Regina had a serene look on her face that she never saw on the young Mayor's face before, and Stella, well she looked like a mother hen. They were both on their sides facing each other, with Stella's head slightly higher than Regina's on the pillows, the latter had her head resting in the crook of Stella's neck, right under her chin. Stella had one arm wrapped protectively around Regina, the other tightly grasping Regina's hand.

They looked so peaceful, and Ruth couldn't help but smile at the sight. At least Regina had one person watching out for her.

* * *

**FTL-22 Years Ago.**

Ruth tossed and turned in the over-sized, and over-luxurious bed, her mind refusing to let go of the thoughts regarding the sick six year old down the long corridor. She had been in the castle for almost two weeks now, but she still couldn't get used to some of the luxuries, and she knew that no matter how long she stayed she wont be able to tune out her motherly instincts. She knew that Regina was kind and a devoted mother, but she doubted that she was staying up with her six year old.

Stella had been feeling off all day, slightly dizzy and no appetite. She barely ate anything, and she wasn't her usual active self. She stayed next to Regina for most of the day, and finally gave in to the sickness before the sun was down. Her temperature spicked, and she hurled whatever little food she had ate during the day. Apparently, it was her first time getting sick since her return, and in her feverish state, she started crying when she threw up. It took Regina a good fifteen minutes to calm her down, and assure her that it was okay. Ruth couldn't deny that Regina stayed with her, and was the one pressing the cold cloth against her warm forehead, but she knew how those royals were. The second it was time to get her beauty sleep, she was going to turn the sick child over to Johanna, and retire to her own chambers. The thought of a sick child all alone without the comfort of her mother, saddened Ruth deeply. She remembered how David was when he would get sick as a child, and she couldn't tolerate the thought that the child will have no one to soothe her in such a state.

She threw the covers off of her and decided to forget about whatever rules they may have set for the young princess, she can ask the maids to keep it a secret and they wont have to know. She grabbed the robe that was lying at her feet, and put it on as she headed for the door. She opened it gently, careful not to make a sound that would echo throughout the large castle, that was almost deserted of any life at this hour, and tiptoed towards her destination.

When she reached the large, wooden, double doors, she was surprised to see that it wasn't closed all the way. She pushed it open, and went in. Her face didn't hide the surprise she felt when she saw the queen propped up on the pillows against the head board, with Stella curled up in her arms. She had her head on her mother's chest, each leg on one side while her arms laid limply by her side. Her face was flushed and covered with a thin layer of water, but Ruth wasn't sure if it was sweat from the fever or water from the cloth that Regina was dabbing gently against her face. Regina's silk night gown was slightly darker around Stella's head, from the water.

"Your Majesty" Ruth exclaimed in surprise, but still managed to keep her voice down so as to not wake up the sleeping, sick, six year old.

"Ruth" an equally surprised Regina said, "is everything alright? Do you need anything?" she inquired and the older woman shook her head.

"No, I don't need anything. I was just checking on Stella, I know she wasn't feeling well, and I didn't want her to be alone" she replied, coyly referring to the fact that she wasn't expecting Regina to be there.

Regina smiled in understanding, "I'm a mother first, and a queen second. A mother who spent five years without any knowledge of where her baby was, believe me I know better than anyone what a miracle a child is, and what it means to have a caring mother. I never had one, and I always dreamed of being one. I'v been dreaming about it since I was five, and abandoning my child when she's sick was not how I pictured it" she explained, and Ruth smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I didn't..." her apology was cut short by Regina, "no, you have nothing to be sorry for, it shows what kind of a mother you are"

"You're unique; no other queen would be doing all of this" Ruth remarked, waving her hand around to signal the absence of maids.

Regina snorted, "the other queens looked at me like I was crazy when I told them that I wont hire a wet nurse to feed her; they were expecting me to change my mind after one week, and were even more surprised when I didn't"

"Well, I cant wait to see Queen Beatrice's face when you tell her that you were staying up all night with Stella" Ruth quipped, and Regina chuckled.

"I'll let you both get some sleep now, good night" Ruth stated, before she left the room.

"Good Night, Ruth" Regina said back.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Regina couldn't remember the last time she slept this well, she actually felt rested. Yes, the events of last night were horrible, but she was happy when she slept throughout the night without a single nightmare. Maybe the knowledge that Stella was there made her feel safe enough?

Her eyes fluttered open, and she squinted a little in the face of the morning light. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw that the bed was empty, and cold to the touch. Meaning Stella had been up for a while, 'or maybe was never even there' her mind screamed at her. Before her dark thoughts could get the best of her, she heard the door to her room open. She turned around and was met with the sight of Stella, still in the previous night's clothes.

Stella smiled softly at her when their eyes met, "Morning sunshine" she greeted softly, and Regina chuckled weakly.

"Morning,how long have you been up?" she asked.

"About an hour, I just left to tell Ruth to send some clothes back with James" she replied.

"Ruth was here?" Regina questioned, clearly surprised.

"She and Mary Margret spent the night in the waiting room, and James camped out at the door" Stella answered simply, and Regina's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why would they all do that?" she stammered.

"Because they care about you, and didn't want anyone rattling you up. Albert Spencer dropped by last night and wanted to talk to you before you and I 'get our stories straight' but Leopold told him that he cant be the one to try the case since the accused is his son. Whale banned anyone from talking to you until he gives the green light, so they were just making sure he wont come back. If he got past one, he wont get past all three,and I already had the room covered"

Regina was speechless, no one had ever done something like this for her before.

"I...I...I don't know what to say" she stuttered.

"You don't have to say anything, no one twisted our arms into doing so, we willingly did it. People do care about you Regina, it's about time you accept their help. It's alright to ask for it sometimes, it doesn't mean you're weak, it just means you passed your limits"

"Thank you" Regina said tearfully.

"You don't need to say that either, at least to me. I grew up in foster care, I know the cruelties mankind is capable of. I know how hard it can be to bounce back on your feet, and you need someone to help you along"

Regina's heart wrenched at the idea that a young Stella had experienced anything remotely resembling the horror that she had been living.

"Also, your mother is here and she wants to talk to you. Whale said it's okay with him, if it's okay with you" Stella declared, and Regina tensed.

"You don't have to talk to her if you don't want" Stella suggested.

"She'll be pissed, and she wont take no for an answer" Regina stated.

"I can handle her" Stella said.

"No, it's fine. I'm gonna have to talk to her sooner or later, might as well get it over with" Regina sighed, "can you get her please?"

"Of course, and if you need anything, just call" Stella said, before she left.

* * *

Cora walked silently, but angrily behind Stella down the corridor. She took a step back when Stella suddenly rounded on her, "if you convince her to go back to him, or even drop the charges, I _will_ kill you Cora" Stella hissed threateningly.

Cora visibly swallowed, and tried her best to shoot Stella a dirty look, but knew that it would be pointless, so she nodded. Stella signaled with her hand to the room and watched as Cora went it, silently praying that this isn't a mistake and that she doesn't need to make herself invisible and go in.

* * *

**Since people are actually reviewing, a little, it is helping encourage me to write and post faster.**

**Let me know what you all think of this chapter.**

**To Anonymous, scenes with Leopold and Regina how? Like friendship ones? Thanks for the review, and I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.**


	22. Bring Me Back

"Hello sweetheart" Cora greeted.

Regina was sitting up in her bed, her head still wrapped, and a nasty bruise was starting to form under her eye. She was fidgeting with her fingers in her lap, and looked up at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Hello Mother" her voice was almost flat. She was exhausted and didn't care for pretenses at the moment, she couldn't play the role of the dutiful daughter anymore, not when she's dying on the inside. She couldn't let her mother guilt her into staying with that monster, and she had to be defensive from the start.

"How are you feeling?" Cora asked, as she approached the bed.

Regina snorted at her question and shot her a scathing look, "how do you think I feel? My husband nearly killed me last night" she spat.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart" Cora whispered.

"Are you?" Regina snapped, "you were the one who made me marry him, and you were the one who made me stay" she cried, tears now streaming down her face.

"I didn't know he would do this" Cora defended.

"No? Maybe if you had bothered to look for the signs you would have known. Maybe if you had cared about anything other than power and influence you would have known" she retorted.

"Regina, I _do _care about you"

"Then how come every time you saw me you told me that power is what endures? That I should sacrifice everything I can to make sure that I keep it, that the people need to know where the power lies, that they need to fear me so that they can respect me. How come you always told me that appearances are important and that people didn't need to know what happens behind closed doors? How come those were always the words that were coming out of your mouth every time you saw me. Every single time. You never asked me how I felt, you never even bothered to look beyond appearances yourself. Every time I thought about leaving him, your voice would come unbiding into my mind telling me that it was probably my own fault that he was like that. Do you have any idea how many times I thought about leaving him but knew I couldn't because you would send me right back to him? But oh no, you do care about me" she yelled, her voice shaking with suppressed anger and pain. Her entire body was shaking, and her head was starting to throb.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, but the accusatory tone could not be missed.

Regina glared at her, and Cora flinched slightly. 'Like mother, like daughter' she thought.

"I shouldn't have had to say anything, if you were blind enough to not notice the signs, then what difference would it have made if I said anything. You wouldn't have believed me" she hissed.

"Of course I would have believed you" Cora said incredulously.

"Really?" Regina snapped in disbelief, "you would have believed me if I said that he beat me up almost every single day? That he would rape me on every chance he got? That he sometimes would come to the office during lunch for that purpose? That sometimes it would be so bad that I would be limping for days after?"

Cora's blood drained from her face, and her stomach twisted uncomfortably at the images of her daughter being raped on regular basis.

"Regina..." she breathed.

Regina shook her head defiantly, "but then again, maybe you did notice, maybe you did know about it all, but when he _threatened_you, and you backed down. We all know that your life is the most important thing to you" she snapped.

Cora was reaching the end of her patience with her daughter, there she was, trying to comfort her and all she did was throw insults and treat her with disrespect.

"Regina, that is enough. I know you are under a lot of stress, but that is no excuse for your attitude. If he had threatened me, I would've rung his neck where he stood. Now enough with these accusations, and playing the role of victim and fight back. If you keep acting like a wounded animal then he won, and no daughter of mine is going to let a worthless person like him win" she snapped impatiently.

Regina's eyes were widening with every word her mother said, her shock gradually decreased as her anger grew, "get out" she seethed.

"Excuse me?" Cora asked in disbelief.

"GET. OUT. You are supposed to be my _mother_, the one who is supposed to protect me, stand by me and help me heal. But you have never been there for me, except to criticize and remind me over and over again that power is the most important thing. Well, I got the message, _Mother__, _if I don't have the power anymore, then I don't matter either. If I don't do exactly as you say, then I am an insolent, ungrateful child. Well, you know what? Fine, I am all that. Even now, you still manage to make it all about you. You didn't threaten to hurt him after you heard everything he did to me, but at the hypothetical suggestion that he threatened you, you got angry. And a complete _stranger_ stood up to him, and allowed him to get away with nearly killing her, and actually killing her unborn child because _he _was the one threatened by her. She allowed him to get away with it all because he was the one who backed down when she didn't after his threats, and even his attempt to kill her" she screamed.

Cora's temper was sky-high by now, and she didn't like one bit the way her daughter was speaking to her. Said temper was enough to melt the ice on Pluto, when Stella's name was mentioned. Once again, that child got between her and her daughter, filled her heads with lies, and drove a wedge between them. She opened her mouth to respond, when Regina held her finger up threateningly.

"GET. OUT" she seethed through her gritted teeth.

"I will let you calm down and realize the foolishness of your behavior on your own. When you decide to act like a mature, responsible person, give me a call" she declared.

"Then don't hold your breath waiting for that call" Regina snapped.

Cora stormed out of the room, and stomped down the hall. She froze in her tracks at the sight of the brunette spine in her rosey life. Stella took one look at Cora's face, and broke off into a jog in the direction of her mother's room. She swung the door wide open, and her chest tightened at the sight.

Regina had both her arms wrapped around her middle, one of them bent at the elbow so her fingers muffled her sobs. Her shoulders were shaking with her sobs, and since she had her head bent down, she still hadn't noticed Stella's presence.

Without a word, Stella moved to the bed and pulled her mother into her arms. She was glad that Regina didn't even bother to object or resist, she just buried her head in her hair and neck, wrapped her arms around Stella's trunk and sobbed.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

Regina was sitting on the couch in her chambers with a book in her lap. Even though she appeared to be reading, her mind was elsewhere. Stella had been back for a week, and she was still no where near healing, let alone healed. She had nightmares in the middle of the night, and Regina often woke up to her violent thrashing, or her body shaking as she sobbed quietly in her sleep. She hardly slept through the night, and at any loud sound, all the blood would drain from her face, and her body would be as rigid as a log. She still wouldn't leave Regina's side-not that she minded- and refused to let Leopold or any other man for that matter touch her.

Her eyes drifted over to the small, curled, sleeping form on the bed. Last night's nightmare had been particularly nasty; it wasn't the usual one where she is reliving her days with Travis. It was one that Travis had found her, and took her back. Regina had tried for most of the night to assure her that it wont happen, but Stella was still terrified. She said that he almost always goes out at night, and that he may come then. And so, the terrified five year old didn't sleep till the sun was up.

Regina hadn't left the room since she awoke either, she got dressed and had them bring her breakfast there. She couldn't leave Stella, not when she's terrified to go anywhere without her by her side. And so she sat in the couch, with a book in her lap, as her daughter slept soundly.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the slight creek the large wooden door made as someone pushed them open. She was genuinely surprised when the head that peaked from behind was not Johanna or Leopold, but none other than Snow.

The young princess smiled softly at the look of pure shock on Regina's face, "can I come in?" she whispered, and all Regina could do was nod.

They hadn't spoken to each other since the night of Stella's return, at least not alone anyways.

"Can we talk?" Snow asked, as she sat down on the couch next to Regina, and once again Regina nodded.

"I know that if I spend the rest of my life apologizing for telling your mother about Daniel, it will never be enough" Snow said softly. She knew she was treding on dangerous territory here, and she had to keep her voice down, just in case Stella woke up. She was also taking advantage of the fact that Regina wont be able to yell.

Regina screwed her eyes shut at Snow's words, "you promised" she accused, as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Snow nodded, her own tears now falling, "I know" she said tearfully.

"I told you it would have dire consequences if she found out, and you still told her" she hissed.

"She said that all she wanted was your happiness, that she wanted to help you, that she doesn't want to lose you. I thought if I told her, then you wont have to live a life on the run, I never thought that she will kill him" she stated, remorse and grief lining every letter of every word.

"She ripped his heart out" Regina snapped, "she turned it into dust right before my very eyes. She took my baby from me because she was his, all because you didn't listen to me"

"I know. I wont sit here and make excuses, I broke the promise and I betrayed your trust. I cant bring him back, and I cant bring back those five years you lost with Stella, but I can try to redeem it. I know it may never be enough, but I wont stop. I never meant to hurt you, you saved my life, and you were kind and gentle to me throughout the years, even though you were dying on the inside. All I can say is, I'm sorry and I do hope that you can see how sorry I really am" Snow stated, "you didn't tell me about the hell my actions brought on to spare my feelings. No one has ever put me ahead of themselves like this before. You have a wonderful heart Regina, and I don't blame you if it holds nothing more than anger towards me right now. You deserve to be angry. All I can do right now is try to sooth the anger and pain as much as I can" she vowed, before she got up from the couch and with one last look at her now sobbing stepmother, and peacefully sleeping sister, she took her leave.

Regina felt like she was glued to her spot, Snow's words had opened up deep wounds. She was praying that Stella wouldn't wake up at the moment, because she had no idea how to explain the tears that were refusing to stop streaming down her face. She pushed herself to her feet, and took slow uncertain steps towards her sleeping daughter. She climbed into bed next to her, and just lay there watching her sleep.

Could she allow herself to let go of her anger and resentment towards Snow? Could she let go of the darkness that had been in her heart for five years now? Maybe she could, maybe she could allow Daniel's child to pull her back from the dark path that she was on. Maybe she should allow herself to let go of the anger and resentment towards Snow by focusing more on her daughter? After all, Daniel was the one who gave her hope once before, why cant she let his daughter do the same for her now? She had no one to live for before, but now she does. Her reason for living was now sleeping peacefully in front of her. That day she made a vow to herself that she wont let magic and the need for revenge consume her, that she will be the mother she always dreamed of being to her little girl, and that her baby will never know what it feels like to not have a loving mother ever again.

She knew it was going to be a long way back, but she had to do it.

* * *

**Storybrook-Present Day.**

When James went back to the hospital later that day, he was not expecting the sight that greeted him when he entered the mayor's room. Regina had her head resting under Stella's chin, the latter had one arm wrapped protectively and comfortingly around her. Regina looked like she had been crying, but since it was expected, he decided not to comment on it.

"I brought you the stuff you asked for" he told Stella.

"Thanks" she smiled appreciatively at him, before she furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, and he sighed in frustration.

"Leo called" he said.

"And?" she gestured with her hand to continue.

"It appears we have a problem"

* * *

**What problem could it be? **

**Evil cliffhanger, once again *VBEG***

**Thank you to all who read and reviewed.**

**To Guest, I appreciate the review and the suggestion very much. I do plan on having scenes of them in Storybrooke, but I don't know if they'll be what you have in mind or not, so I guess you'll just have to let me know. Thank you for the review, I appreciate it.**

**Reviews make me very very happy, so let me know what you all think.**


	23. All Rise

Regina immediately tensed in Stella's arms, and Stella tightened her arm around her, mentally vowing to kill the bastard if he was out.

"Don't tell me the judge released him on bail?" Stella said in horror.

"No, no, he didn't. He's still in the cell, vowing to bury us all" James calmed them down, "Judge Hayden took our side actually and relieved Albert of his post, and handed the case to Kathryn Davis" he continued.

"Then why did you say there was a problem?" Regina asked, her voice was a bit shaky from the mere thought that her husband was released. She felt Stella rub her arm comfortingly, and to her surprise, it seemed to work. She relaxed more into her embrace, and was surprised at the sense of safety and serenity the arms of a stranger brought her.

"Well, because of Stella" he replied hesitantly.

"Me?" Stella asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Joseph and I were trying to build a case against him for your attack, and Kathryn knew. So when she saw your name on the witness list, she said that it might be a problem. You cant testify against him if he's already accused of attacking you, and you will benefit from his incarceration; that's a conflict of interests"

"Drop the case" Stella said nonchalantly.

Regina sat straight, and James's eyes widened, "excuse me?" they both chorused.

"Drop the case, stop trying to build a case against him. No charges pressed, no case, no conflict of interest" Stella replied without missing a beat.

James was stunned at the lack of hesitation or even resentment towards Regina in her voice, and Regina was looking at her like she was speaking a foreign language.

"Stella..." James tried, but she interrupted him.

"Your case against him for my attack is circumstantial at best, it might take you months before you can prove it was him. But we have a solid case against him right now. I was the first one there, my testimony will make a big difference" she argued.

"NO" Regina objected, getting out of bed and turning away from a stunned Stella.

"No?" Stella repeated, and Regina turned around to face her.

"No, they are not going to drop the case against him. You are not letting him get away with this for me any more"

Stella got out of bed, and moved around to get to Regina, "he's not getting away with anything. If he gets convicted then he goes to jail, what difference does it make what case it was?"

"Then let them trial yours too" Regina almost yelled.

"They don't have a case, but Albert can still bring it up on the stand and claim that I have a personal interest in sending his son to jail. But if they drop it all together he can't do that. It'll be like an admission of guilt if he did" Stella explained gently.

"You said you knew what kind of horrors mankind was capable of, and I know how the foster care system works; they all got away with it and I am not going to be another person who lets you down" Regina cried.

Stella's heart was shattering at her mother's words, how can she possibly think that she's letting her down? She used both her hands to cup her mother's tear stained face, and moved the pads of her thumb to wipe away the cascading tears.

"You're not letting me down, he attacked me once, how many times has he done this to you? You keep saying that he didn't hit you since I got out of the hospital, but you and I both know that it's not the end of the story. I didn't walk in on him about to hit you that day, he was about to rape you and that is what I stopped. I may have gotten him to stop hitting you, but not the rape. If I testify against him, if I can help put an end to it all, once and for all, then I am getting my justice too" she soothed.

Regina's only response was to wrap her arms around Stella's shoulder and pull her into a tight embrace, "your mother was an idiot to let you go" she whispered. Stella just buried her face in Regina's hair, and nearly sobbed at her words. 'If only she knew'

* * *

**FTL-22 years Ago.**

Regina sat the table in the palace's garden, trying her best to keep up with what Queen Beatrice was saying but was finding it increasingly difficult. She had left a still sleeping Stella with Johanna when they arrived, and hadn't gotten a minute since then to check on her. It was close to noon, and she had no idea how she was doing, and she was loosing it. She didn't want her little girl to think that somebody else was more important, she barely managed to get her to believe that she wont leave her and that she will never abandon her, she didn't want to let her down.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by someone's hand on her shoulder, she turned towards the source and found Johanna, "I'm sorry to interrupt, your majesty, but you wanted to know when the princess woke up"

"The princess is still sleeping?" Beatrice asked in surprise, but the judgmental snide couldn't be missed.

Regina opened her mouth to bite her head off, when she felt Ruth squeeze her hand and Leopold beat her to the punch.

"Our youngest, Stella, fell ill yesterday and didn't sleep all night from the fever" he explained, "Regina spent the entire night with her" he said proudly and Beatrice's mouth fell open. Regina smirked slightly, and turned back towards Johanna, "how is she?" she asked in concern.

"Fever is still the same, and she is refusing to eat" the older maid informed her.

"Still?" Leopold wondered and she nodded, before she leaned in closer to Regina's ear so only she can hear, "she asked about you, and when I told her where you were she said that maybe you should'v pretended to be sick"

Regina couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's words, "tell her I'll come check on her as soon as I can" she whispered back and the older maid nodded.

"Oh and Johanna, there is some apple sauce in the kitchen, see if she'll eat it, she usually cant resist it" Regina exclaimed, and the older maid-who was a few feet away- nodded. When she turned back to her guests, she found a very surprised look in both Beatrice and her daughters' eyes.

"You know what she likes to eat?" the younger of the two, Princess Evelyn -who was a couple of years older than Stella- asked in amazement.

"Of course I do" Regina replied incredulously.

"You stayed with her all night?" Beatrice now asked, and once again Regina nodded.

Leopold saw that Beatrice was about to shoot a snide remark, and decided to defuse the situation. He knew of Regina's temper, especially when it comes to Stella. And since she was up all night he guessed it would probably be worse, "Why don't you go check on her? I think she might eat if you're the one who is offering" he suggested, and Regina nodded. She wordlessly got out of her chair, and headed towards the castle.

"She's one hell of a mother Leopold" King Xavier complimented, and both Ruth and Snow had to bite back a laugh at Beatrice's fallen face.

"She is" Snow was the one to concede, and Beatrice huffed irritably.

"And that's what makes her a great queen, she has a wonderful heart" Leopold added.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Leopold made his way down towards Regina's room, he rounded the corner and couldn't help the smile that graced his lips. Stella was once again throwing a temper tantrum on the phone, and in Italian no less. He had to admit that Ruth had a point, she did look cute when she's irritated. She whirled around once more, and caught sight of him. He raised his hand in greeting and mouthed, 'is she awake?' to her, to which she nodded and pointed towards the room.

He knocked on the door, and waited till he heard Regina's voice granting him permission to enter, before he opened the door and went in. She was sitting up in bed, flickering through the TV channels.

"Anything good?" he asked, and she huffed in response.

He chuckled, "you sound just like Stella" he quipped, and it was her time to chuckle.

"She's throwing another temper tantrum?" she asked.

"Yeah, Ruth was right, it is quite adorable"

"Tell me about it, especially when she starts glaring at you because you're enjoying it" she stated, as she laughed.

Leopold was happy that he was able to get her to laugh after everything she's been through, "how are you feeling?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"Okay I guess" she replied softly, "I'm more concerned with the fact that I am going to have to climb over Stella's back to get my justice" she sighed.

"You're not walking over her back, James told me what happened. You didn't even ask, hell you were against it, but she's right. Your case is stronger, and this way we can lock him up and ensure that both of you are safe. We can work on her case after that"

"She didn't miss a beat" she mumbled, and when he looked confused, she continued, "when she told him to drop her case; she didn't miss a beat. And when I looked at her, there wasn't even a hint of hesitation or resentment in her eyes or voice" she explained.

"Yeah, James told me. She is quite something" he said in awe.

"That's an understatement" she snorted.

"Why didn't you say anything? You know I would've helped you" he asked gently, and she bowed her head down.

She shrugged, " I don't know, I guess I thought I can fix it on my own. I thought maybe if I tried harder, that it wont be so bad"

"Regina, this wasn't your fault" he stated gently.

"I know, but I didn't want anyone to get tangled up with him. I knew his temper and I didn't want him hurting anyone because of me. I mean, look at what happened to Stella"

"She got him to back off, we are all more than capable of taking care of ourselves. You need to start thinking about yourself, and less about everybody else" he said gently.

"I think you need to give that speech to Stella" she stated, and he chuckled softly.

"She grew up in the foster care system, Regina, she knows how to take care of herself" he said gently.

"And she also knows how it feels to have people hurt her and get away with it" she exclaimed.

"Which is what she doesn't want you to feel, and she will do everything in her power to make that happen"

"Yes, but while she is too busy looking out for me, who is looking out for her?" she asked dejectedly.

"You are" he answered simply, and Regina looked at him incredulously.

"Ruth told us that you were the one who managed to get her to leave the house after the attack. She said that you spent the night with her, and in retrospect, probably risked one hell of a beating by Travis" he retorted.

"She was so small and vulnerable in my arms, I just couldn't bring myself to leave her"

"You have a wonderful heart Regina, don't let anyone convince you of otherwise"

"Thank you, but what I did for her is nothing compared to what she did for me"

Before Leopold could say another word, the door opened and Stella stomped in. Her face was still red from the anger, and she was huffing.

"Oh please don't tell me you find me cute when I'm irritated as well" she grumbled when she saw the amused expression on her father's face, and at his chuckle she groaned.

"Everything okay?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, but I may have to go to Boston. I need to be there tomorrow morning" she said regretfully.

Regina smiled at the look Stella was giving her, "it's okay, I'll be fine" she said gently.

Stella looked at her mother thoughtfully, she had a bad feeling about leaving, but she didn't really have much of a choice.

* * *

She walked into the apartment in Boston that she shared with Neal, and was surprised to find it empty. She had been trying to reach him throughout the drive, but his phone always went to voice mail. She left him like five messages, and eventually decided that he was probably at some function or date. And seeing as she was exhausted, and had to be at the company headquarters at 7 am the next morning, she just walked to her room, magically changing into her sweat pants and a tank top, before she threw herself in bed. To her surprise, the exhaustion and emotional turmoil of the past few days took their toll on her and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, she found Neal fast asleep in his room and a note on the door of the fridge.

'Was at benefit, sorry I didn't get back to you' the note read and she just smiled.

She made sure to stay as quiet as possible as she moved around the apartment, knowing that he doesn't have to be at work before 8 and left.

* * *

Her very very long day, was finally nearing its end when the door to her office swung open and Neal walked in, "Hey gorgeous" he greeted.

"Hey yourself" she said back.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Go? Where?"

"Back to Storybrooke, it's the weekend and I am coming with you" he said.

"Sure, but can we grab something to eat first?" she asked.

"I already picked up your favorite from Prego's and we can eat in the car"

* * *

"I didn't want her to know it was him" Stella said dejectedly.

They had been driving for about an hour, and she was filling him in on what happened since she broke down in his arms.

"Why not?"

"Because she's going to remember it all when the curse breaks, and I didn't want her to feel guilty for it"

"She is your mother, Stella. It's her job to feel guilty about every little thing in your life"

"Yes, but not something like this. She's gone through enough already, and she feels guilty even now, imagine what is going to happen when she actually remembers that she's my mother"

"She's gonna feel guilty yes, but she's also gonna be happy that she has you back. You and I both know that this what she cares about the most"

* * *

Stella pulled up into Ruth's driveway, so she can drop off Neal and his stuff before she goes to the hospital. She was surprised when she saw James's sheriff cruiser standing in front of her mother's house. Instead of heading into Ruth's house, she headed for her mother's with Neal following closely behind.

Her surprise was doubled when she saw her mother exiting the cruiser, "Regina, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I live here" she quipped and Stella breathed out a laugh, "very funny. I mean out of the hospital"

"Whale released me, said there was no other reason to keep me there and that I can get all the rest I need at home" she explained.

"House is clear" James informed them as he jogged back to the cruiser.

Unbeknownst to the four unsuspecting residents, a pair of eyes was watching their every move and smiling devilishly to himself. Mr. Gold had been planning for this the moment Stella waltzed into town, and he was very pleased that everything was going according to his plan. Regina Mills was going to pay, and she was going to pay dearly.

* * *

**Okay, here's the next chapter everyone**

**Reviews make me very very happy, so let me know what you all think.**


	24. Remember MeOr Maybe Not

Regina tossed and turned in her bed, trying to get back some of the sleep that seemed to elude her on this specific night. This was her first night back at her house, and even though she knew Travis was locked up, she still found herself on edge, constantly fearing that he will barrel through the bedroom door at any minute and have his way with her. Her relationship with her mother hadn't improved much, they had fought once again when Cora wanted her to stay at her place but still demanded an apology from Regina about the way she behaved at the hospital. Regina, of course, refused and therefore went to her own house and was now sleeping in her bed.

She sighed in frustration, and snuggled more into her pillow in an attempt to summon sleep. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt the bed dip a little next to her, reflexively thinking it was Travis and shrunk a little in response. She laughed in relief when she felt a soft fur nuzzle her neck, "you cant sleep either huh?" she cooed, and the grey husky moaned quietly in response.

"How about a midnight snack then?" she suggested, and the husky immediately perked up her ears and licked Regina's cheek, "I'll take that as a yes" she chuckled, as she pushed the covers off of her and pulled on her robe. The husky was quick to follow, and happily padded out of the room and towards the stairs with Regina following behind.

She passed by the guest room, and then stopped. She stood there, at the top of the stairs, looking at where Pandora had disappeared. Her heart and mind having a battle over what she should do. After a few seconds, she sighed and decided that her heart won. She went back a few steps and slowly pushed the slightly ajar door open and peeked through. A soft smile tugged at her lips at the sight of Stella curled around a pillow on her side and the covers gathered at her waist. She looked peaceful, and exhausted; making Regina wonder if she had gotten any form of sleep since the attack at all. She tiptoed quietly into the room, and pulled the covers up around her shoulders. She didn't know what came over her, but she found herself slowly sitting on the bed,careful not to wake her up and gently running her fingers through her hair and pushing it back behind her ear.

She couldn't help but reflect on the strange feelings that she had ever since she saw Stella; she was very maternal about the girl, the mere thought of her getting hurt made her stomach go into knots. Her heart was breaking with every sob and shake Stella released after her miscarriage, and she risked a hell of a beating by Travis that night, just for her. It's not like she knew that Travis wasn't going to hurt her because of Stella, she was prepared for him to leave more bruises on her body than a dalmatian had spots.

What surprised her the most, was the serene feeling she always had whenever Stella smiled at her, or whenever she was in her arms. Sometimes, even watching her, and seeing a smile on her face made her heart swell with pure joy. Before she could stop herself, before she could even ponder what she was about to do and question it, maybe even hesitate and not do it at all, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Stella's temple.

* * *

She slowly walked down the stairs, careful that they don't creek under her weight. She was expecting to find Pandora waiting for her at the bottom, but not only was she not there, but she could hear her soft moaning coming from the living room. She made her way towards the room, and soon realized that the soft glow coming from the room wasn't the night-light that she leaves on at night, but rather one coming from the screen of a laptop.

"Pandora, would you please get out of my way, I cant see anything like this" she heard Neal's whispered order, and judging by his frustrated groan, the husky didn't listen.

She couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before her eyes, when she walked into the living room. Pandora was sitting between Neal and her coffee table, standing on her hind limbs, and completely blocking his view of the screen.

"Why are you down here? Weren't you huddled next to Regina's bed?" he groaned, and looked up at the sound of Regina's laughter.

"We were supposed to be getting a late night snake, but it appears she found something else she's interested in" she quipped, and he shook his head as he chuckled.

"She always did that to me and Stella when we work from home; she gives us about ten minutes, and if one of us doesn't get up and pay her some attention, she would jam herself between us and whatever it is we are doing, to make sure that we cant get any work done"

Regina chuckled at the memory, and hit the light switch and the room was filled with light, before she walked and took a seat next to him. Stella had noticed her hesitation towards spending the night at the house alone on her first night back, and decided that she was going to spend it with her, and Neal decided to join them.

As soon as she settled into the couch, Pandora decided that her work with Neal was done, so she climbed onto the couch and put her head into Regina's lap, "looks like she decided that it was a job well done" Neal chuckled as he closed the document he was staring at.

Regina stared at the picture on the desktop of his laptop screen, and couldn't help the soft smile that tugged on her lips, "she looks so happy" she commented. It was a picture of Neal, with Stella piggybacking on his back and both wore bright smiles as they looked at the camera.

Neal looked back at the photo, "she was. This was on her graduation day, I wasn't supposed to make it, I had a court appearance that day, but the date got pushed back. Except I didn't tell her, and I walked into the hall as she was giving her speech" he smiled wistfully at the memory, " I saw the surprise on her face, but she didn't falter in her speech. I sat in the back so that I wouldn't disturb the ceremony, but I could feel her happiness radiating through her smile. The second she was off the stage, she bolted through the crowd in my direction, completely ignoring all of her professors who were trying to congratulate her, including Bob Cavanaugh, her current boss and straight into my arms"

"It's nice of you to want to surprise her like that" Regina remarked.

"The smile that you see in the picture is a very rare occasion for her, she hardly ever smiles like that, and that is why I did it"

"You two seem very close"

"She saved my life" he stated, and Regina furrowed her eyebrows.

"She never mentioned it" she said.

"She doesn't know" he said simply, and Regina arched an eyebrow at him.

"I've lived on the streets for as long as I can remember, always trying to avoid the police so that I don't end up in foster care. It worked for a few years, but I got caught when I was 14 and off to a group home I went, before I was placed with the Rosewoods. I didn't pay any kind of attention to my lessons at school; I figured it was pointless since no one will care. Then one day, the school counselor called me to her office, and gave me this big lecture about how I need to pay attention in school for my sake and that I need to find some sort of motivation in life that will encourage me to keep going and face any hardships" he started, "I thought she was crazy, and didn't really take her words to heart. When I got home, the Rosewoods told me that my social worker was bringing in someone else to the house, and that we will be sharing the room, so I either move my stuff off the bed or off the couch"

"Couch?" Regina repeated in surprise, and he nodded.

"They were cheap, the couch was a worn out one that they didn't feel like throwing away, you could barely sit on it let alone sleep" he stated, "anyways, I ignored them both, and went by my day normally. Later that night, she came to the house. She was so small, and so scared, it broke my heart. She was eight, and I saw more fear and pain in her eyes than I have ever before. When she broke into heaving sobs in my arms that night, the amount of trust I saw in her eyes, trust that I will take care of her and that she can lean on me; I knew that I had to do everything in my power to make sure that I never betray that trust. I turned my life around for her sake, and she never failed to pull me through, even when she was young. She was always wise beyond her age, and eventually, we started depending on each other. If she hadn't come through that night, I wouldn't be here right now"

Regina's heart wrenched at the idea of a young, terrified, abandoned Stella with no one to comfort her. She was happy that she had at least had Neal, and that he had her as well.

"Did she ever try to find her parents?" she asked.

Neal wanted to scream, 'she never stopped and she has succeeded' but he knew he couldn't, not without making her think that they were both crazy.

"No" he opted for that instead, he had no idea what to say if he was to say yes and he figured it wont be so bad once the curse breaks.

* * *

_She was standing in the middle of a large garden, one that she didn't recognize. It was vast, with all sorts of plants and trees. The sound of a child's squeal had her turning to her left. She saw her apple tree, 'what was it doing here?' And next to the apple tree, she found the source of the squeal. A little girl, who couldn't be more than six years old, leaped from her place under the apple tree, a bright red apple in her hand and skipped towards a still too stunned to talk Regina. _

_The girl's clothing, even though they were riding clothes, seemed to be from a different era. The pants were leather, instead of the stretchy material they use now, her shirt had gentle, chiffon ruffles adorning the chest, and peeking through the opening of the navy blue blazer with golden buttons. Her hair was black, the sides pulled back and twisted upon themselves, then tied with the rest of her long wavy locks into a ponytail at the back of her head. _

_Regina looked at the girl curiously, her curiosity turned into shock at the girl's words, "mamma look, isn't it pretty?" she was bouncing on her heels as she spoke, and Regina had a feeling that she knew this girl from somewhere. Her eyes seemed vaguely familiar, and the look in her eyes... She was looking at her with love and adoration, just like she always dreamed her child would do, if she ever had one. _

_"I think you made a mistake, sweetie; I'm not your mamma" She said gently. She was surprised at the girl's amused giggle, "stop being silly, of course you are" she cried cheerfully, as she lunged herself at Regina, wrapping her arms around her waist. _

_Regina gave a surprised yelp, and looked down at the girl, and finally noticed that her own clothing were not from this century as well. It was a grey, velvet dress with intricately designed waist-line. It hugged each of her curves perfectly, and flowed down with her body. _

_The soft yelp that left her lips wasn't because of what the girl did, or what she was wearing, but rather the feeling that flowed through her at the contact. It was so foreign and yet so familiar, so distant and yet so near. She couldn't quite name it, no matter how hard she tried. She could feel her mind and heart as they both battled, her heart begging her to remember something, a distant feeling or maybe even a memory, but her brain refused to comply. She could feel the emotions struggling to get to the surface so they can be heard, to be recognized. _

_She looked down at the small girl, and surprised herself when she wrapped her own arms around the small frame. Warmth and peace washed over her, when the little girl tightened her arms around her. _

_She closed her eyes for a few seconds, enjoying the weight of the girl against her body and how her head moved with the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. She had always wanted this, a child, happily staying by her side and bathing her with the unconditional love that she never felt in her life. A child to take all of her pain away, and make her life worthwhile. _

_But as much as it was really what she always wanted, she knew she had to face the truth. This was nothing more than a dream, and she has to pull herself out of it. She tried to wake up, go back to the real world, but found that she couldn't. The girl's arms were too tight, almost as if she was holding her back and stopping her from leaving._

_"Sweetheart, I think you made a mistake. I'm not your mamma" she said dejectedly, as she pushed the girl back. _

_The pained expression the girl had on her face shattered Regina's heart, "stop saying that, yes you are. Please don't leave me" the girl begged._

Regina shot up in bed, her chest heaving and sweat trickling down her forehead. It took her a few seconds to take in her surroundings, before she started to calm down a little. The sun was shinning through and when she looked at her bedside alarm, she saw that it was nearly 8. She could still feel the same battle between her mind and heart that she felt in her dream, that same pull of the distant echo of a memory, begging her to remember. But she didn't know what it was that she was supposed to remember.

* * *

She walked into the kitchen, and was surprised to find an already awake Stella moving about the kitchen, humming softly to herself.

"You're in a cheerful mood" she remarked, and Stella whipped around at the sound of her voice.

"Well, I usually like listening to music while I'm cooking, but since Neal is asleep on your living room couch, I don't want to make too much noise" she said casually, "how are you feeling today?" she asked, as she now made her way to sit opposite Regina.

Regina nearly gasped when she looked into Stella's eyes, and understood why the little girl's eyes seemed so familiar; they were Stella's eyes. The little girl from her dreams was probably Stella. But how could she possibly be dreaming of a young Stella? And is it possible that it is actually her?

Before she could ponder those questions any further, or even answer Stella's question, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it" she heard Neal's voice from the foyer, followed by the sound of the door opening.

"Good Morning, Mr. Cassidy" Joseph greeted.

"Morning, Sheriff. What can I do for you?" Neal wondered, as both women came out of the kitchen and joined him.

"Is something wrong, Sheriff?" Regina asked.

"Actually, yes. Travis is dead"

* * *

**So this is a long chapter for you all, and in case you haven't noticed already, I love cliffhangers :D.**

**Thanks to all who read, followed and reviewed; I greatly appreciate it. **

**Reviews make me very very happy, so let me know what you all think of this.**


	25. Remorse

A deafening silence descended upon the house, as all three residents stared blankly at Joseph.

"Who is what now?" Neal was the first to recover, and that was the only thing he could think of. He thought that maybe they misheard what he said, maybe even hearing what they were secretly hoping to happen.

"Travis was found dead in his cell this morning" he repeated.

"How the hell did that happen?" Stella asked.

"We don't know. I locked the door behind me, and found it locked this morning. We are still trying to see how they got in and out" Joseph answered.

"You left him alone? What if he had escaped?" Stella accused.

"He didn't escape, he was found dead. And there were no signs of forced entry, so we still don't know how the killer got in"

"What about his father, he could'v planned to help him escape, something went wrong and he ended up dead, so he left him there" Stella stated.

"We're looking at Albert's phone records, see if anything pops out. We know how to do this, that's not why I'm here" he said.

"More good news I presume" Stella snapped sarcastically.

"Where were the two of you last night?" he asked.

"Wait, you think _they_ did it?" Neal asked incredulously.

"They have motive" he deadpanned.

"No we don't. Kathryn was gonna try the case, it's rock solid against him" Stella argued.

"That doesn't answer my question"

"We were here all night" Regina finally spoke, her voice was neutral and authoritive.

Joseph opened his mouth to ask another question, but Neal cut him off, "I was working late, and no one left the house. Stella was sleeping and Regina and I talked till well past midnight. I slept on the couch in the living room, and I am a very light sleeper. If anyone had left the house, I would've heard them" Neal said with finality, and Joseph merely nodded.

* * *

**FTL-23 Years Ago.**

Regina took slow, but steady steps towards a part of the castle that she never liked and never before entered, the dungeons. Leopold never had any prisoners there, and therefore she had never been there except when he gave her the original tour of the palace. He didn't like locking people up in it, he either sent them to the work houses, or if the crime was too heinous, executed them. She tried to convince him many times to use it for something else, but he always told her that maybe it'll come in handy one day.

And he was right. Today, she found herself glad that he had kept it, for it now held the man who was responsible for keeping her baby away from her for five years; the man who was responsible for the terrified and haunted look her five year old now had in her eyes.

She offered a small smile to the guard, whose jaw had dropped at the sight of her. The corridor was dimly lit, the torches fire only adding to its gloomy and slightly dreadful air. The sound of her heels clicking on the rocky floor echoed with every step she took. Her arms were hanging loosely by her side, and her fists clenched when she rounded the corner and laid eyes on his turned back.

He was sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the bars of the cell. He turned his head slightly at the sound of her footsteps, and the guard hoisted him to his feet when he laid eyes on the queen.

His eyes were cold, angry and daring. He held her gaze, and his lips parted slightly in an evil grin that had her skin crawling.

"Why?" she breathed. She had racked her brain for months, thinking about what she will say to him once he is captured. She had a million scenarios prepared, but none of them came to mind as she stared into the cold, empty eyes of her daughter's captor. Nothing except for one question, why?

"Why what?" he asked coldly.

"Why did you take her?" she asked.

"I didn't. My foolish wife found her in the woods and brought her, said we can raise her as our own" he snarled, "and then one day, she decided that she couldn't take it any longer and disappeared"

"If you never wanted her, why did you keep her?" she hissed.

He grabbed the bars with both his hands, moved his head close to the bars and bared his teeth in a predatory grin, "to sell her when she's old enough" he stated coldly.

A soft gasp left Regina's lips at his words, "sell her?" she whispered in shock.

"Royals pay a lot of gold for good maids, and she was going to be the best" he exclaimed smugly.

"We offered riches in return for any information, even more if they led to her return, why not just tell the guards?" she screamed.

"And who was going to take care of me?" he asked dryly.

* * *

Regina all but burst through the garden doors, as she struggled to catch her breath. She had kept the mask she had mastered from all those years of living with her mother, and having to pretend around Snow that she wasn't suffocating, up in front of him so that she doesn't give him the satisfaction of watching the effect of his actions on her. But now she needed to let it all out, she needed to scream and cry.

She knew what it means to grow up with a ruthless parent, one who doesn't show any affection, one who thinks of you as merely a pawn in a larger scheme, and she had vowed when she was a little girl that her child will never feel that. She wanted to scream and cry, and let out the built up pain and frustration from the past three months.

He wasn't even sorry for what he had done, he didn't even try to ask for their forgiveness or get himself out of it. He was smug, and daring.

She walked over to her apple tree, and lifted her head to gaze up at the star-lit sky. Her arms wrapped around her stomach, as if she wished she could turn back time and put Stella back inside of her, so she can take all of her pain away. Snow had managed to convince her to go check on the horses with her, and that was how she managed to go see Travis. She knew that Stella would flip out if she knew, so she made sure that whoever saw her heading in the dungeon's direction, knew not to breathe a word of this to Stella.

The tears were hard to stop, as the sobs wracked her body. She wasn't sure what she was crying for; was it the lost five years with her baby? Her child's lost innocence? The despair, helplessness and utter sense of failure? She didn't know a specific reason, but it didn't seem to matter. All she knew was that she wanted to cry, and so she let it all out. She tried to keep her sobs as quiet as possible, she didn't want Stella to find her like this, she wont be able to explain it, and the fragile child might take it the wrong way.

She was startled when a hand was placed on her shoulder, and she whipped around. She was relieved when she found Leopold standing next to her, and before she knew it, she was sobbing into his chest as he held her and rubbed circles on her back.

"You went to see him, didn't you?" he accused gently, and felt her nod.

"I had to see him, I had to see if he felt even a hint of remorse for what he has done" she sobbed, "he didn't even bother to deny knowing that she was ours"

Leopold knew that no words could be said to comfort her, and that she did need to let it all out, so his only response was to tighten his arms around her and continue to rub circles on her back.

"Where is she?" she asked tearfully, her head still resting on his chest. Thanks to the age difference between them, and the fact that he did stand up to her mother, when her own father didn't, she felt safe in his arms, they calmed her down.

"When she came back from the stables with Snow, she asked about you. Since we didn't know where you were and we didn't want to scare her, Snow took her on a tour of the castle and they ended up in the nursery" he explained, but when there was no sign that she wanted to head in that direction, he remained as they were.

* * *

When they both entered the nursery, they both smiled at the sight before them. Snow had Stella balancing on her hip, the latter with her head resting on Snow's shoulder, as she gently played with the mobile over the crib. Stella's head snapped up when she heard the clicking of her mother's heels, her face lighting up a little.

Regina wordlessly reached for her, and held her close to her chest. The latter didn't seem to mind, as she immediately snuggled up in her arms and took fist fulls of the back of her dress.

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"I just took a walk around the gardens and lost track of time" she soothed.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

Mr. Gold was taking a leisurely walk down the street, a smug grin plastered on his face; his plan was going well and it wont be long before everything spirals out of control and they have to come to him for mercy. He smiled devilishly when he caught sight of a frustrated looking Stella exiting a car, which immediately faded away when his eyes landed on the man getting out of the back seat, especially when he put his arms around Stella and guided both her and Regina into the diner.

* * *

**So I am not entirely happy with this chapter, and it feels more like a filler to me, but after re-writing it five times, this was as good as it was going to get. **

**Thank you to all who read and reviewed, I am very happy that you like this story and I appreciate the reviews very much.**

**Reviews make me very very happy, and they also let me know what you all think of the story and what you want to see happen, so keep'em coming.**


	26. Sins of My Mother

Stella sat at her desk, typing furiously on her laptop. She had been in Boston for the almost a week taking care of some business, and she was desperate to go back to Storybrooke. But every time she thought she was done, something else would come up and she would stay the night. She had returned to Boston with Neal, and left Pandora with Regina. Travis may be dead, but his father was very much alive and she didn't want him threatening Regina. Ruth and Mary Margret were also keeping an eye on her, and James and Joseph were still trying to figure out who was responsible for killing Travis.

The fact that she was constantly worrying and thinking about her mother and coming up with worse case scenarios, meant that she took double the amount of time she usually took to finish her work. She tried more than once to focus, but her mind immediately drifted off to the hidden town in Maine.

The buzzing of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts, and when she saw Mary Margret's name on the screen, she grabbed it, "Mary Margret?"

Her voice didn't hide the surprise or worry that she felt, they never called her, she was always the one who called. She was silent for a few seconds, listening to what the other woman was saying, her face paling with every word.

* * *

Her car screeched to a halt outside the sheriff's station, and was out of it and inside the station in record time, completely oblivious to the pair of eyes watching her from across the street, with a satisfied vengeful look.

Mary Margret and Ruth were sitting on the bench in the hallway, and both looked up at the sound of clicking heels, "what the hell happened?" she asked.

"Joseph showed up at her doorstep and told her that she needs to come down here for questioning; she didn't even call Dad. But now, James is saying that the evidence is pilling up against her, and they might have to charge her soon" Mary Margret rambled.

No sooner did the last word left her mouth, did the man in question come out, "what the hell is going on?" Stella hissed.

"We're just asking her a few questions" he lied.

"Don't lie to me James" she snarled, "you already know everything you need to know, you think she is capable of killing?" she asked incredulously.

"She has motive" Joseph said, and Stella looked past James and glared at him.

"What motive? Kathryn was trying the damned case" she yelled.

"You're her motive" Joseph cried, and she was stunned.

"Excuse me?"

"You dropped your case so we can try hers, maybe this was her way of ensuring he pays for it" he argued.

"Seriously?!" she barked.

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do, but the evidence is pilling up against her" he retorted.

"What evidence?" she snapped.

"Her fingerprints and skin were found on the murder weapon; one of her skeleton keys was used to access the station and the cell; she was the mayor so she had access to the blueprints of the building and knew where the power lines for the cameras were" he listed.

"Yes, but she had no idea that you wont be there, we all thought that you would be keeping a closer eye on him" she roared, coyly referring to the fact that it was his fault, "and more over, she has an alibi"

"Well, if you were the motive, then Mr. Cassidy may even be in on it and was covering up for her" he yelled.

"You are unbelievable, now Neal is a suspect"

"Maybe he is, and maybe he was just covering up for her to shift the suspicions away from her" he hissed, "all I know is, she had motive and opportunity and now all of the evidence is pointing towards her"

"And last I checked, when all the evidence is pointing to one person, it means a frame-up!" she seethed.

"Who would want to frame her for this? Who else would want him dead?" he argued.

"Well, me for starters! He was getting away with MY attack, and I can assure you if you looked closer into his life, the list of people wanting him dead will be very very long" she yelled.

"We did look, and yes it is a very long list; but none of them has the opportunity like she did and none of them stood to gain anything from his death. And all of them liked Regina, so it is highly unlikely that someone is framing her"

"What the hell did she stand to gain from his death?" she screamed.

"If he's dead then there is no trial; it would have been messy and she would have had to live every single detail of what he did to her to the judge. And you and I both know that she hated the fact that he was getting away with your attack, so maybe this was her way to ensure that he pays"

"So instead of humiliating herself she decided to become a killer instead?! Leopold already told her that they can trial him for my attack after they get an accusation for nearly killing her. You are not even looking into other people, you decided that she was the killer and you are trying to make the story fit" she cried in frustration.

"You don't have the same means and opportunity that she does, no one does. Maybe she thought that because she was the mayor that she will be able to get away with it, I don't know. All I know is, the evidence says that she did it and if it gets any tighter than that, I will press charges and make sure she pays for her crime. She may have been a victim but that doesn't mean she can take the law into her own hands" he lectured.

Stella's temper was flaring with each word that left his mouth, and when he all but called her mother a cold blooded killer, she lost it. Before she could stop herself, her palm contacted with his cheek, and left a nice, red mark from where she slapped him. A collection of gasps were heard from James, Mary Margret and Ruth and Joseph just stared wide-eyed at her in shock.

She didn't give any of them a chance to say another word, as she stalked off and stormed out of the station. She couldn't believe that the man she was talking to was Claude, the one who vowed to keep her and her mother safe no matter what. The man she trusted to accompany her as she faced the monster she lived with for five years.

He had held her tight, his arms wrapping tightly around her. She started shaking when they entered the dungeon, and he tried to soothe her by rubbing circles on her back. Travis immediately started screaming at her, and vowing to make her pay. He didn't wait for her to tell him that it really was him, he immediately turned around and left.

He had walked slowly towards the dungeon, but rushed out of it and hurried towards the library where her parents were. He was the one who led the search for her for five years, and never complained. He was the one who stood outside of her room for nearly a year, because that was the only way she felt safe enough to fall asleep away from her mother's arms.

But now he was cold and distant, accusing her mother of killing Travis, and wanting to punish her for it. There had been a time when he wanted to drive a sword through his gut himself. Now he was trying to make the story fit, as if he has some sort of vendetta against her mother.

* * *

Cora had just gotten the call that her daughter was a person of interest in Travis's murder, and was packing up to leave,when once again a livid Stella barreled into her office.

"If this is your doing, so help me God Cora" she threatened.

"Are you out of your mind? I wanted my daughter to be in power, not go to jail. If I had anything to do with this, believe me, I wouldn't be framing her" she stated pointedly.

"Is this what it is all about? You want to twist my arm so I leave and stop trying to break your precious curse?" she yelled.

"I wish I had thought of that, but no. If I wanted to twist your arm, then I would've framed you. You already made time pass in this town, so if I frame her then it will stick" she hissed.

"Who the hell would benefit from this? Albert may be cold, but I don't think he would kill he who is supposed to be his son" she exclaimed.

"No, he's not that stupid either. But there is someone who would benefit from all of this, someone who wanted to have all the power in this world and one who would love to see my daughter crash and burn"

"Who?" Stella asked.

* * *

Mr. Gold stood at the counter in his pawn shop, fixing one of his many possessions, when the door flew open once more and in walked two very livid Mills women. He smirked slightly, at how similar they looked and leaned comfortably on the counter.

"My, my. I never pegged the two of you to be on the same page" he remarked.

"Well, we both don't like the fact that you are framing Regina for a crime that you committed" Cora snarled.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about. Why would I kill Travis? And why would I frame our dear Mayor for it?" he taunted, same smirk still plastered on his face.

Cora opened her mouth to yell at him, but gasped when she saw him flying and getting pinned against the wall. A very angry Stella grabbed him by the collar of his coat, and got up in his face, "don't play dumb with me. You are the only one who stands to benefit anything from all of this, and you are the only one who can pull it off. Whether you did it yourself, or intimidated someone into doing it for you, I don't care. But if you stand here and deny knowing, so help me God I will kill you. You may have been the dark one back in our land, but you are powerless here, and I am not" she hissed.

Cora couldn't deny that she was impressed, especially when she saw Gold trying to mask his fear and squirming in her grasp.

"She deserves everything that is happening to her, she ruined everything for me and now so are you. You want to save her from a dark fate, leave" he snarled, "leave this town, and never return and you have my word her name will be cleared"

His words stunned both Stella and Cora, and it was enough to loosen Stella's hold on him. He fell to his feet, and stood tall once more facing a still shocked Stella.

"If you wanted to get rid of me, then why not just frame me?" she whispered.

"I thought of that. It would've made sense if you hadn't been the one to drop your own case against him, and then you spent the night with Mommy" he hissed, "she never liked the fact that he wasn't going to pay for it, and I assume that Mr. Cassidy didn't either"

"And therefore it would make sense that she would do it, and he would either cover up for her or help her" she finished for him and he nodded approvingly.

"But if they press charges, she will have to cross the town line. You told me that no one will be able to leave" Cora yelled.

"She wont leave, at least not alive"

* * *

**And so, to make up for yesterday's lame chapter, here is a new one. Let me know what you think of it.**


	27. That Is The Question

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Stella seethed through gritted teeth.

"It means, that the curse was designed to protect itself against the outside world. So if anyone tried to cross the town line, they wont make it" he taunted, enunciating every syllable, and basking in the horrified expression on both Stella and Cora's faces.

Before either women could say anything else, Stella's phone rang. She immediately pulled it out, and was about to decline the call-thinking that it was work related-when she saw Mary Margret's name on the screen.

"It's Snow" she exclaimed, as she pressed the phone to her ear, "Mary Margret?"

Cora held her breath and watched Stella's face closely for any signs of what is being said on the other end, but Stella's face wasn't giving away anything. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait for long, less than a minute later, Stella put the phone back into her pocket.

"This isn't over" she hissed, and with one last venomous look, she stormed out of the shop, without even a word to Cora.

A confused Cora rushed out of the store after her, "what did she say?" she inquired.

Stella had both her arms crossed over her chest, "they released her, Kathryn said that the evidence was too circumstantial and that she wasn't convinced because Mom has an alibi. They're taking her home" she said distractedly.

* * *

Regina was sitting on the couch, both her arms wrapped around her middle, as she stared off into nothing. Ruth put a light Afghan around her shoulders when she noticed the subtle shake of her body.

"Here you go" Mary Margret said softly, as she handed her a glass of water. Regina took it, and gave her a grateful smile before she gulped it down.

"Mary Margret?" Stella called from the foyer.

"Living room" she called back, and was a little confused when she heard two sets of heels clicking. Her confusion turned into shock, when Cora came into view. Regina looked surprisingly at her mother, but with a bit of apprehension.

"Mother?!" she didn't bother hide the shock from her voice.

"How are you holding up, darling?" Cora asked, as she took a seat next to her on the couch, and adjusted the Afghan around her.

"I'm fine I guess, I just don't understand why all of this is happening" she stated in frustration.

"I know" Cora sympathized, which made Mary Margret and Ruth's eyebrows travel up their foreheads.

"They said something about the murder weapon" Stella wondered, and Mary Margret nodded.

"Yeah, they found a bag, with a bloody knife and one of Regina's skeleton keys in it, hidden by the river under the troll bridge. The knife had a decorated handle, so they found some skin in the impressions. They say it matches Regina, as well as the finger prints on the blade and key" Mary Margret recounted.

"Well, the key is mine so it would make sense that my finger print would be on it; but I don't know how to explain anything else. The knife isn't mine, and I sure as hell didn't kill him" Regina cried.

"You never saw this knife before?" Stella asked, and Regina shook her head, "NO"

"You said you kept the keys in your office, who else had access to it?" Ruth asked.

"I did" Stella dead panned.

"We are not seriously going to go down that road; I think it is safe to assume that you're not the one framing me" Regina said incredulously.

"It's not any more far-fetched that you actually being the killer. I had access to the skeleton keys, I was the one with the vendetta against him. After all, he was getting away with _my_ attack. I had motive and opportunity!" Stella summed up and Regina glared at her.

"Except he's been getting away with it for the past 5 months. If you wanted him dead, you would've done it then" Regina retorted.

"No one knows that I knew all along that it was him, and it does make sense. I was waiting for the perfect opportunity, and I found the perfect scapegoat" Stella shot back, and both Mary Margret and Ruth gasped.

"You knew he was the one who attacked you?" Mary Margret whispered in shock, and Stella nodded.

"Why the hell didn't you say anything?" Ruth reprimanded.

"Because I would've had to say that I had gone to his office that day and threatened him, which proves my point even further. If anyone had a motive to kill him, it is me! I am the one whose attack he was getting away with, not Regina!"

Regina sprang to her feet, "the fact that you let him get away with attacking you for five months because he backed off of me is bad enough, and then you dropped the case so you can testify on my behalf. I didn't know about one, and couldn't sway from the other. But I will be very much damned if I let you stand there and shift the blame onto yourself. You and I both know that you didn't do it, and it's not like those keys were kept in a safe. My entire staff knew where they were in case of emergencies, so any one of them could'v taken the key and got in that night" she declared authoritatively, "what I would like to know is why are they framing me?" she finished in frustration.

Stella was about to interrupt, when the last sentence reached her ears,and she immediately averted her gaze, "I need some air" she said, as she pushed herself off the wall and without waiting for a reply, headed for the door.

The remaining four women followed her with their gazes, confusion written all over three of those four faces. Said confusion deepened and turned into profound shock, when the woman who got up to follow Stella wasn't Regina, but Cora.

"Since when are those two in cahoots?!" Mary Margret wondered.

* * *

Cora jogged out into the street to catch up with Stella's fast pace, "you need to leave" she ordered, and Stella whipped around to face her.

"Excuse me?!"

"You're destroying your mother! If you leave, Gold will clear her name and she wont end up dead" she hissed.

"Why are you so sure that he will hold up his end of the deal? How do you know that he wont make it tighter regardless?! How the hell should I know that this isn't all a scheme of yours to drive me out of town?" she yelled.

"If I wanted you gone, I would've framed you, not Regina! And Gold is a lot of things, but he never goes back on his word in a deal"

"Good thing I didn't make one with him then!" Stella snapped.

"You need to sort out your priorities! If you care about your mother as much as you claim, then you will leave. Unless, you are far too selfish and egotistical to do the right thing by her" Cora taunted.

* * *

**FTL-22 Years Ago.**

Regina rushed down the large corridor, towards her sick, six year old's room. She was surprised when she found the door to her room slightly ajar, and Claude not in front of it. Before the panic and dark thoughts could set in, she heard her daughter's weak laugh coming from inside. She pushed the door enough so she can slip in, and looked fondly at the sight.

Stella was lying in bed on her side, while Claude made funny faces and sounds and tickled her stomach lightly with her stuffed harbor seal.

"Thinking about changing careers, Claude?" she quipped, and the guard jumped up from his place on the bed.

"Your majesty, I..." he stuttered, and she chuckled at his clumsiness.

"It's quite alright, Claude" she assured him, as she now sat on the bed, and leaned close to Stella.

"Good morning, darling" she greeted softly, as the back of her hand caressed the child's forehead and cheeks.

"Sorry I slept late" she whispered apologetically, and Regina shook her head.

"You're sick, baby, you can sleep as long as you want. I used to sleep till now too when I was pregnant with you" she teased, and the girl beamed up at her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Well, at least I'm not stuck with the statues" she teased, smiling cheekily at her mother's failed attempt at glaring.

"Johanna gave me your message" she tried to make her voice a bit reprimanding, but couldn't keep the facade when the child grinned ruefully at her.

"I see you took my advice though" she grinned, and Regina chuckled.

"No, I didn't. I just came up to check on you" she said softly, and the girl's eyebrows furrowed.

"Isn't that against the rules?" she asked.

"I am the Queen, sweetheart, I can do whatever I want" she stated.

"What about the deal? Wont that change their mind?"

"No deal is more important than you, you come first" Regina stated firmly, but softly. She bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "You are the thing I love the most, you are my priority" she whispered.

* * *

**Storybrooke-present.**

Stella had been sitting in her car for a while, she had no idea how long and she didn't care. She was parked on the outskirts of town, looking at the point where it all began. That was where she found herself when the curse struck, alone on a deserted street in the middle of nowhere. She had spent hours calling for her mother, till her voice got hoarse. She tried to teleport to her, her fear and despair growing when she realized that she cant access her magic. She chose a direction at random, and started walking. She walked for hours, in the cold and rain. She found a weird looking building, but she could hear noises inside.

She stepped in, and the entire room went silent. Everything that happened after that was a blur. She was hungry, thirsty and desperately wanted her mother. People rushed over to her, talked to her, gave her food and water; and before she knew it, she was in a weird looking carriage. She tried to ask for their help in finding her mother, but they patronized her. Told her that she was delusional, and refused to find her mother, or let her be so she can.

It had taken her years till she was able to access it again, and fully master using it. She tried finding her mother using magic then, and only found herself once more at the same spot. It took her years, till she finally realized that perhaps she needs to walk in the opposite direction. She had nothing to loose, and one night she finally mustered up the courage to do it.

She had no idea what to expect, and she was scared of not being able to save her mother, of not being able to do what is necessary. She had thought about it for months, before she even tried. Could she do whatever is necessary to save her family?

And now, she finds herself once more asking herself the same question, could she do it? Could she simply walk away and never look back, to spare her mother's life? Could she give up on the dream of seeing recognition in her mother's eyes again? Forget about what it felt like to sleep in her arms, now that she got a taste of it again? Go back to being an orphan after she was finally able to find her parents?

Her mother had told her once that she was her priority; and she knew that she had broken all of the norms of the royals for her sake and always put her first.

Could she do the same?

* * *

**So what will she do?**

**Here is the next chapter everyone, hope you all enjoy it. **

**Please let me know what you think of it, reviews make me very very happy. The faster you guys review the faster I update.**

**To Artina, I would LOVE to see someone doing the same for her on the show, especially if it was Henry since he finally seems to get his head screwed on straight, but I am not holding my breath! I did watch the premier and I loved her sass lines! But my favorite was actually, the rainbow and unicorns. Let me know what you think of this one.**


	28. The Curse Which Was Not To Be Done

Stella stayed in her cars for hours, racking her brains for a way around leaving and coming up empty. She had long stopped crying, her tear ducts all dried up from hours of crying. Her phone beeped for what seemed like the millionth time, signaling the many many voice mails, and messages left by her mother and sister alike. She had no idea what to say to them, so she just ignored their calls. She was parked outside the town line, hidden between the bushes, so she knew that even if they send James to hunt for her, they wont be able to find her. She considered calling Neal, but she already knew what he was going to say. He was going to tell her to fight, not to give up and that there has to be another way around it, she just has to look hard enough. He was going to get angry at his father, maybe even come to Storybrooke and confront him. She knew how hard he tried to avoid running into his father when he came for her birthday and when Regina got attacked, and she didn't want to be the reason why he has to face the man who abandoned him. He would've made her fight.

But she couldn't take the risk, not when her mother's life was at stake. She cant roll the dice on her mother's life, not when the Dark One himself is involved. Cora was right, he never goes back on a deal. So if she leaves, her mother will be safe. Cursed but safe. Travis was no longer an issue, so maybe she should let things be. If she was really doing this to give her mother her life back, then she should be able to walk away to guarantee that her mother remains alive.

She knew that the part of her mother who knew who she was, was going to suffer and so will she; but she would rather live on the hopes of one day finding a way to break the curse, and reunite with her mother; than with the knowledge that she got her mother killed and that she will never see her again.

* * *

She tiptoes into her mother's house, praying that she will be fast asleep, hoping to avoid the confrontation. Her hopes and prayers were crushed when her mother's worried voice came from the living room, "Stella" she called frantically, the sound of shuffling feet followed, and then the sight of her frantically worried mother in her robe exiting the room.

Before Stella could get a single syllable out of her mouth, Regina had walked over to her and engulfed her in a hug, "oh thank God" she sighed in relief. Stella wanted to cling to her and sob, but knew she couldn't, so she just rubbed her back comfortingly, "sorry" she mumbled apologetically.

"You scared me" Regina scolded lightly, as she pulled back.

"I'm sorry, I was just in no mood to talk" she said softly.

She smiled wistfully at he mother when she caressed her cheek gently, "you've been crying" she remarked.

"I'm a little stressed that's all"

Judging by the look on her mother's face, she knew she wasn't really fooling her.

"Did my mother say something to you?" Regina asked.

'Well, for the first time she's not the one to blame' Stella thought, "No, she didn't" she decided to go with that instead.

"Look, I am sorry I stormed out like that, but I just needed to clear my head. I don't want you to worry about me, I know how to take care of myself. Just take care of yourself, and don't let anyone pull you down or convince you that you are not worth the love or don't deserve to live your life, because you do"

Regina just looked at her quizzically, and released a nervous laugh, "where is all of this coming from?" she asked worriedly.

"Just promise me" Stella pressed, past the growing lump in her throat.

"I promise" Regina said sincerely, and held the brunette tight when she hugged her.

She had a nagging feeling at the back of her head that something was wrong, but for the life of her she couldn't understand why.

* * *

The next morning, Mr. Gold was once again standing behind the counter fixing one of his many possessions when the bell above the door chimed, announcing a visitor. His face broke into a smug smile, when his eyes landed on a distraught looking Stella.

"What can I do for you dearie?" he taunted, his smirk growing when she stalked towards him.

"Don't think that you've won; I _will_ find a way to break this curse and when I do, you better find a place to hide. You may have been the all mighty and feared Dark One back in our land, but you are powerless here. I may have some reservations against killing you, but I am guessing the rest of the town is far less forgiving than I am. If you so much as look at her funny, I will make your life a living hell" she seethed.

"Drive safely dearie" he almost purred.

She turned around before the tears escape, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of watching her suffer.

* * *

She drove by Granny's, and saw Ruth talking amicably with Ruby. She knew that Snow and her mother were still at work, it was well past lunch time when she had finished packing her stuff, and getting them into the car. And her final stand off with Cora, wasted some time.

"_Make no mistake; I am doing this only for her sake, but the second I figure out a way to break the curse, I will return and you and Gold better find a way to disappear then" she growled._

"_If she really is the thing you care about the most, then you will let her live her life in peace" she taunted, but Stella didn't take the bait and left._

She knew she had to hurry and leave before they get off work, but she couldn't help but make one last stop.

She walked the gravel path leading up to the mausoleum, a bouquet of white roses in her hand and pushed the door open. The door released a sorrowful creek as it opened, almost as if consoling the broken brunette.

She placed the bouquet on the lid of the coffin, before she crouched down in front of it and pressed her forehead against the cool plaque bearing her grandfather's name. She had thought that her tear ducts had dried up long ago, but when the dams broke and her tears flooded out, she was proven wrong. Sobs wracked her body, her knuckles turning white as she clawed at the stone.

"I'm so sorry" she sobbed, "I have to do this, I cant bear loosing her" she choked out. She hunched over under the weight that she had been carrying around for years, unable to carry it any longer, and her entire weight fell onto the coffin. A surprised shriek left her lips, when she felt the coffin move under her weight.

* * *

Mary Margret was sitting at her desk looking over some tests that she had to grade, when her phone beeped. She put down the piece of paper, and picked it up. Her brows furrowed in confusion when she saw that it was a text from Stella, before they shot up her forehead in surprise, and her mouth hung open from the shock after she read it. Without another word, she grabbed her purse and bolted out of the room.

She walked frantically down the street towards her car, "come on, come on" she urged into the phone that was currently pressed to her ear. She groaned in frustration when she didn't get the response she wanted. She was looking down, glaring at her phone as she rounded the corner, and barely had enough time to look up and halt in her tracks before she plows into James.

"Whoa! Slow down, what's the rush?" he asked.

She opened her mouth to say something, when a wave hit them both. They both looked confused for a few seconds, looking down at their clothes and around them and then their faces broke into bright smiles.

"Snow!" he cried.

"Charming" she almost squealed, as she launched herself at him.

* * *

Regina was trying her best to look over the plans for the new children's playground that were spread on her desk, but was finding it increasingly difficult. Once more, her mind and heart seemed to be battling over something. Her stomach had been in knots since her talk with Stella the night before, but she couldn't pin point why.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the knock on her door, "come in" she called.

She was genuinely surprised when she saw Joseph walking in, "Sheriff!" she exclaimed.

"Madame Mayor" he greeted, "may we talk?" he asked.

"Well, that depends. If you are here to accuse me of killing my husband, then we have nothing to talk about" she snapped.

"I will follow the evidence anywhere it will lead me, and if it proves to be you who was behind it, I wont hesitate to bring you to justice. If there is one thing I hate the most, it is people who think that they are above the law" he snarled.

"Get out!" she hissed.

He turned around to leave her office, when a gust of wind hit him, and had him stumbling back a few steps. He froze in his tracks, and then whipped around to look at the brunette sitting behind the desk.

"Claude" she exclaimed.

"Your majesty!" he whispered.

* * *

In the midst of all the happiness of the curse breaking, Snow had forgotten about the text she got right before. She and David ran towards Granny's in time to see Ruth exiting the town diner, and Leopold rounding the corner. Each of them hurried towards their respective parents, and hugged them. Then they greeted their friends and family, as if they are seeing them for the first time in years, and in a way they were.

They all looked across the street when they heard the sounds of screeching tires, and saw the sheriff's cruiser screeching to a halt. Regina and Claude immediately jumped out of it, and jogged across the street towards the small group.

Snow wasted no time in throwing her arms around Regina's shoulders, "Mother" she exclaimed happily.

Claude hugged David, they had become good friends back in their land, before he shook Leopold's hand and gave him a one armed hug and pat on the back. Regina was then engulfed in a hug by Ruth, and then Granny. Once they both let her go, she turned around and didn't have time to react before Leopold wrapped his arms around her. She breathed out a tearful laugh, and wrapped her arms around him as well.

"Not that I'm complaining, but I thought Rumpelstiltskin said there was no way to break the curse, so how come it did?" Ruby asked.

"Stella" Regina replied, longing and pride evident in her voice and etching all over her face.

"Oh God, Stella!" Snow cried, as she pulled out her phone once more, "please pick up" she begged her phone, as if it was going to actually listen to her.

"Snow, what's wrong?" David asked.

"NO,no, no" she ranted, "it keeps going to voicemail" she said in frustration.

"Snow" Regina called urgently.

"Right before the curse broke, I got this text from her" she explained hastily, turning the phone around so Regina could see the screen.

_'Thank everybody for their great hospitality, and that I am sorry I left like that, but I hate goodbyes. Please take care of yourself'_**  
**

Regina's heart sank, she looked up at Snow, whose facial expression was mirroring hers; absolute horror.

"Try her again" she stated frantically.

"I don't think that'll be necessary!" David mumbled.

"What?" Regina said incredulously, and was about to bite his head off, but the look on his face halted her. He was looking at something over her shoulder, and when she followed his line of sight, her breath hitched in her throat and she released a soft gasp.

* * *

**Yaaaaay the curse broke! Evil cliffy I know, but it seems that the more evil they are, the faster you guys review. **

**Reviews make me very very happy, so please leave them and let me know what you think of this.**

**To Guest, glad I could help. **

**To Guest, you are more than welcome.**


	29. Broken

Mr. Gold was pouring himself a drink to celebrate his victory, he was finally able to hit all of his enemies where it hurts the most, Regina was finally going to pay; no body walks away from him. He was smiling smugly as he pictured Stella's face as she leaves town, and Regina's pain when she could never understand why she did, or why she feels so bad about a stranger leaving. He was lifting the glass up to his lips, when the gust of wind hit him and he froze. No, this cant be. He walked out of the backroom, and stared in horror at the sight before him. People were rejoicing, hugging each other in relief, remarks of excitement and happiness said left and right, and they were all using their fairytale names. His worst nightmare had come true, Stella broke the curse.

And now he cant even move on with his plan to frame her, since Stella will be able to use her magic to prove it! He snarled, and threw the glass across the room. The sight of the red wine spilling across the floor reminded him of something, and he smiled devilishly once more.

* * *

They were frozen to the spot, both unable to move or tear their gazes away. Brown meeting brown, staring at each other from across the street, both chest heaving with uneven breaths and hearts beating erratically. Regina was scared to believe her eyes, this was her child, her baby girl. She could almost feel the weight of the terrified eight-year old in her arms, how tight those small arms wrapped around her neck, how deep her face was buried in her neck and hair, how terrified she sounded as she begged her not to leave her. She could almost feel the salty tears on the back of her neck, and the oh-so familiar feeling of despair and helplessness.

_'I don't remember much about my life before I was eight'_

_'They think that I couldn't handle the shock of being abandoned by my parents'_

_'I grew up in foster care, what kind of mother would I have been'_

_'I know the kind of horrors mankind is capable of'_

_'She was so small and so scared'_

All of that went through her head, as she took slow, tentative steps towards her baby. She finally understood the lingering feeling she always had, the battle between her heart and mind. She finally realized what it is her heart was begging her to remember. It was begging her to remember her own child, it was begging her to remember that the stranger who moved in with Ruth Nolan and was bending over backwards to protect her was her own baby girl.

Her already shattered heart, broke even more when she was close enough to look into her eyes. She saw the anticipation, how they were madly searching hers for any sign of recognition. She saw the hope that her own mother would recognize her and the fear of the impending heart break if she didn't. She saw the walls and emotional armor coming up, and it broke her heart that her daughter's first instinct was to brace herself against pain and heartbreak, brought on by her own mother no less.

Her hand fell to her stomach, wishing that she could turn back the clock to a time when her baby was still inside of her, where she was safe. She wished she could turn back time so she can take away all the pain and suffering her baby went through. She saw how her gaze followed her hand, before they snapped back up to meet hers once more. She knew her daughter understood the gesture, when she found herself staring into the terrified eyes of the five year old she found in the woods.

She saw the walls crumble down, and all the emotional burden her baby had been carrying around swirl in her eyes. She saw longing, pain, love and relief. Relief that she was finally able to lift a certain burden off her tired shoulders. Tears pooled into the chocolate eyes, that were also filled with happiness.

She closed the remaining distance in a few large strides, and practically barreled into her mother. A distraught Regina was hoping for her daughter's reaction, and miraculously managed to stay steady on her feet, a sob escaping her lips as soon as Stella reached her arms.

She wrapped her arms tightly around her shaking body, trying to cocoon her like she did when she was younger. Another sob escaped her lips when she couldn't. Stella was no longer the little girl who was in her arms in what seems like a few minutes ago, but in reality decades. She rested her head against Stella's when the latter tucked in under her chin, salty tears streaming down both faces.

"Mommy" she whimpered.

Regina closed her eyes at the title, Stella could'v said anything in the world, but she poured it all in one, simple word, 'mommy'. She tightened her arms around her even further, and brought one hand to cradle her head against her chest.

"I'm so sorry" she sobbed. It was the only thing she could think of to say, but she wasn't entirely sure what she was apologizing for. For failing to protect her, for abandoning her, for letting the bastard get away with every crime he did against her. She wasn't sure what she was sorry for, but she was.

She felt her shake her head and pull back from the hug, she cupped her cheek and moved the pad of her thumb over it, in an effort to wipe away the cascading tears.

"You have nothing to be sorry for" she said firmly, her eyes moving wildly between her mother's, hoping that she can see the sincerity in them.

Regina did see the sincerity, and it tugged at her heart even more. She released a long sigh of relief when Stella moved back into her arms, and started running her fingers in her hair.

"I missed you" she whispered.

"I missed you too baby" she choked out, kissing the side of her head.

They hadn't realized that the small group watching the reunion, all smiling wistfully with tears in their eyes, had made their way over to the embracing mother and daughter in the middle of the street. Stella was the one to catch sight of her father, and smiled against her mother's chest.

"Stella" he asked tentatively, as if expecting her to evaporate from her mother's arms any second.

She smiled at him, and pulled back from the hug, "hey daddy" she greeted.

Regina reluctantly released her from the hug, and watched happily as she was engulfed in a hug by Leopold.

He held her tight for a few minutes, without saying a single word before he finally pulled back, "Look at you all grown up" he breathed and she laughed.

"Don't worry, I'm still your little girl" she quipped, and his only response was to lean forward and press a kiss to her forehead.

Regina watched happily as she hugged Snow, then David and Ruth before she turned around and glared at Claude.

"I deserved that slap, and many more" he remarked, and she chuckled at him, before she threw her arms around his neck.

"She slapped him?" Regina repeated, and David nodded.

"He had a nice, red hand print on his cheek for the rest of the day" David stated, clearly impressed.

"Well he shouldn't have called you a killer!" she retorted cheekily.

"Not that I'm complaining, but the last thing I knew was that this curse couldn't be broken, so how did you do it?" Ruth finally decided to interrupt the happy reunion.

"I will explain everything I promise, but we need to go home first and then we will probably need to hold a town meeting" she replied.

"We're not going anywhere until you explain _this_!" Regina seethed, grabbing Snow's phone out of her hand and turning it towards Stella.

Stella cringed when she saw the text she sent Snow, "oh that" she breathed.

"You were leaving?" Regina asked, clearly hurt.

"I didn't know what else to do, he was going to kill you" Stella defended.

"What are you talking about?" Leopold asked.

Stella sighed, "Rumpelstiltskin was the one framing you for Travis's murder and he said that unless I leave, he was going to make it so tight that Claude wouldn't have had any other choice but to press charges and take you across the town line. The curse is designed to protect itself against the outside world, you wouldn't have made it across" she almost pleaded.

"You were leaving!" Regina accused, her voice thick with held back tears, "you knew who I was, and you were going to leave"

"At least this way you would have been alive, and there was the hope that one day I was going to figure out a way to break the curse and get you back. It was that hope that kept me going for 20 years. Travis was out of the question, so it's not like you would'v been in any danger. But if you were dead, that would've been it" she explained, before she moved to hug her mother, "you told me once that I was your priority, that I was the thing you loved the most. All I cared about was that you stay alive" she mumbled against her neck.

"Why don't we go home and I'll explain it all?" she asked, and felt her mother nod against her shoulder.

* * *

They all walked into the house, and were all surprised-except for Stella-when they heard the clicking of heels. Their surprise turned into shock when Cora, a distraught looking one too, came out of the living room.

"You" David growled, and moved towards her. Stella jumped between Cora and the small group, half of which were angry and half of which were shocked.

"I understand that everybody's emotions are running high at the moment, and that you all are angry at her, but we all need to calm down, take a breath and..." her sentence was interrupted by her father's angry voice.

"You're defending her!" he accused.

"No, I'm just saying yelling 'off with her head' is not the answer" she argued.

"Yes it is, where is all of this coming from?" David argued.

"She has her heart back!" Stella snapped.

* * *

**So since you were all very nice readers and reviewed, here is the next chapter. Things might get crazy for the rest of this week, so I may not be able to update again. **

**Please let me know what you all think of this.**


	30. All Curses Can Be Broken

**Half an hour prior.**

Stella's shriek died in her throat, when she caught sight of the dark void beneath the coffin. She got back up to her feet, and pushed the coffin all the way back, surprise and confusion itching all over her face. She looked around her for something to use as a flashlight, but found none, so she just decided to venture in, she was the one with the magic after all. She put her foot on the first step, and raised her hands up in anticipation of an attack. This was probably her grandmother's doing, and she needs to be careful not to loose her head.

She finally makes it down the stairs, and realizes why her grandmother brought Henry's grave over with her to this world. She needed something to hide her vault under. The wall facing the stairs is lined with books, and large boxes bearing the family crest. But one box in particular spiked Stella's interest.

Almost all of the other object, had little if no magic trace left on them for Stella to feel, except for that box. Its magical essence was very strong, and it was glowing. When she got closer to it, she realized that she could actually hear rhythmic beating, and the glow would grow brighter with each beat. Just like a heart does.

She reached for the box, and slowly lifted the led.

* * *

Cora was nervously pacing the length of her office, Stella said that she was going to leave, but that she wont stop trying to find a way to break the curse. She called Gold, and he said that as soon as he gets confirmation that Stella crossed the town line, he will clear Regina's name; that Stella's threats were empty and that the curse was unbreakable. But what if Stella did find a way to break the curse? She will loose it all. She already sacrificed magic to cast this curse, so it's not like she'll have that to fall back on. If Regina remembered it all, and realized that she was once again not only responsible for taking her baby away from her, but also for whatever horrors Stella faced in foster care. Not to mention what Regina herself faced at Travis's hand, her stomach clenched uncomfortably as she recalled all the things her daughter told her that bastard did. She had to make sure that Stella never returns, she had to make sure that the curse is never broken.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt someone literally stab her in the chest from the back, she released a loud gasp as she took in a large intake of breath and stumbled back a couple of steps, her hand over where her heart hadn't been for so many years that she lost count.

A gust of wind emanated from her and spread out, just as countless emotions flooded her; love, joy, shock, horror, regret and many others that she couldn't label. She turned around and found a pair of brown eyes looking at her with anticipation, the same brown eyes that stared up at her with nothing but plea as she tried to drown her and then when she left her in the middle of the woods, away from her mother. The same deep, chocolate brown eyes that always seemed to have a haunted, the same ones whose owner always seemed desperate to protect her mother.

"Stella" she breathed out a laugh as she took in the sight of her granddaughter, as if she's seeing her for the first time, and in a way she was. At that moment, she didn't care who the girl's father was, she was her own flesh and blood, and she had this deep-rooted and inexplicable love for her.

Stella seemed more relieved than shocked, as if she wasn't really sure of the outcome of what she did.

The door to her office slammed open, and in walked a livid Ashley, her secretary, "you heartless witch" she barked, and Cora finally realized that the gust of wind was the curse breaking. Before she could even think of something to say, Stella stepped in between her and her livid secretary.

"I know that you are angry, but your statement is only half true. Instead of focusing on how angry you are, how about you go find your loved ones?" she suggested, and Cora breathed a sigh of relief when the girl actually listened to her.

"And you" Stella said, as she turned around to face her grandmother, who was now looking at her with love and pride, "I will smoke you back to Mom's house and we'll meet you there" she finished, and didn't give Cora the chance to respond before she waved her hand and engulfed the older woman in purple smoke.

* * *

She ran out of her grandmother's office, and down the street towards her mother's office, only to freeze in her tracks at the sight. Snow seemed frantic as she talked to her mother, who had her back turned to her. David lifted his gaze from what the small group was doing, and saw her. His lips moved, but she didn't hear what he said, whether it was the distance, or the fact that she was only focusing on her mother, she didn't know.

Her mother whipped around, and their eyes met. She wanted to run to her, melt into her embrace and sob but she couldn't. She was rooted to her spot, unable to move, just staring at her mother as she closed the distance between them slowly. She was scared to believe that when her mother is close enough for her to look into her eyes, that she will see her mother and not the mayor. That her mother would look at her and recognize her, that she will be more to her than just the sweet brunette who moved into town a few months ago.

She wanted just one undebatable sign that her mother knew who she was, and when she saw how her hands fell to her stomach, she got the sign she needed. She felt the weight of the curse that she had been carrying around for almost 20 years now lift off her shoulders, and she felt like that five year old girl who couldn't believe that the woman who just exited the carriage was the woman she had been dreaming about for as long as she can remember.

And just like that day in the woods, she ran into her mother's arms, clamped her arms around her torso and buried her face in her neck. The sound of her mother's sob was mixed with her own, she tried to curl up in her mother's arms, but she wasn't the small five year old anymore. She couldn't hide in her mother's arms like she used to. But somehow, they still brought her the same sense of safety she had longed to feel again for 20 years.

She wanted to apologize for not coming sooner, to tell her that she loved her, how much she missed her, but only one word came out, 'mommy'. She knew that her mother knew all the hidden messages behind that one small word, and her heart broke when she heard her apologize. She shouldn't be the one apologizing, she should be the one apologized to. She pulled back, even though every fiber of her being objected to the move, and she saw the same objections in her mother's eyes, but she had to be looking her mother in the eye when she assures her that she has nothing to be sorry for, before she moved back into her arms.

* * *

**Present.**

Regina's eyebrow arched up at her daughter's words, and moved her eyes back towards her mother and took a closer look at her. She was surprised at what she saw in her mother's eyes, for once they weren't cold and lifeless. They were filled with all the emotions she had longed to see in them for years; love, joy, pride, longing, and regret.

She was snapped back to reality by the sound of an angry Leopold, "what is that supposed to mean?" he hissed.

"That is a very long story, so how about you let me explain before you go around throwing punches?" she asked pleadingly. She could clearly see the toll this was taking on her mother, and she could feel Cora's anxiety, so she wanted to defuse the situation before it got out of hand, there will be plenty of room for tempers to flare throughout the conversation.

"Let's go into the living room" Regina almost ordered, and Stella looked at her worriedly. Her voice was eerily flat and that was never a good sign, especially that her eyes seemed to be staring unseeing at Cora.

Leopold guided her towards the room, making sure to keep a safe distance between her and Cora, with David, Snow and Ruth following suit. Cora was about to follow when Stella held her back.

"I understand that for the first time in your life, you actually know what it feels like to have a daughter, and what it really means to be a mother. I can see it in your eyes that you just want to hold her and try to take all the pain that you caused away, but it's not that simple. You cant be the one to comfort her right now, you have to give her some space. She needs time" Stella tried to make her voice as gentle as she could, and Cora nodded solemnly at her, before both brunettes headed for the living room.

* * *

**So this is the proof-read version.**

**Let me know what you all think of this and I will try to update again very very soon. **

**I still haven't seen the episode so no spoilers please.**

**Thank you.**


	31. There Are Two Sides To Every Story

Regina was sitting on the couch next to Leopold, with Snow, David and Ruth on the other one. Cora sat in the love seat and Stella opted to stand.

"Well, we're sitting down and not throwing punches" Leopold snapped and Stella almost glared at him.

"I don't remember you being this snappy" she shot back.

"Why don't we just start with how you broke the curse?" Snow intervened before the two of them get into a fight.

"How about we start with what the hell does 'she has her heart' mean?" Leopold snapped once more, and Cora sighed when all eyes-except for Regina's-turned to her.

"I ripped it out long before you were born, I wasn't even pregnant" she started. Regina closed her eyes at the statement, that was clearly directed at her.

"My mother died when I was nine, and my father found solace in whisky. He stopped running the mill and after some time, I ran out of things to sell for food, so I started working. The years went by, and things were getting worse, until I was able to strike a deal with the palace's cook. I will supply most of their need of flour, and he will warn me before any balls before the word hits the village, so I can get the better share. In return, I will give him some flour for his family, free of charge, and of course the King never gets wind of it. One day, I was wheeling the flour into the court, when someone tripped me and I fell. Of course the flour bag broke, and it spilled. I heard someone whining and when I looked up, a smug looking princess was telling the King that I ruined her dress. He made me apologize and bow to her, and said that I wont be getting paid for this flour. The cook felt sorry for me, so he paid me for his share of the flour. He said that he heard that the kingdom was in danger, and that the King was hoping to save it by marrying Henry to Princess Eva and forming an alliance" she was interrupted by a large gasp from both Leopold.

"No, Eva wasn't like that. She was kind, you're lying" he bellowed.

"Actually she's not, Eva was like that. What grounded her was nearly dying while giving birth to Snow, it changed her. She only pretended before around you because she didn't want you shutting her out of running the kingdom" Stella interrupted.

"How do you know?" Snow asked, tears streaming down her face. Eva had died when she was young, but she remembered how kind and gentle she was, and it broke her heart to know that she had once caused so much misery to someone that they vowed revenge.

"I'll get there in a minute" Stella answered gently.

"Anyways, I had an old dress of my mother's and I knew how to sow. I tweeked it a bit around the edges, and wore it to the ball. The King made me and was about to put me in jail. I panicked, and told him that I knew how to spin straw into Gold. He locked me up in a tower with straw and told me that they all have to be turned to gold by the next day or else I will be hanged" she continued, "I tried to find a way to escape, but found none. I thought I was doomed for sure, but then Rumpelstiltskin showed up and said that he can turn it into Gold for a price, but I asked him to teach me how to do it instead. The price was my first born child"

"Me?" Regina whispered, and Cora's newly installed heart broke at the pain in her voice.

"Yes" she said regretfully, she didn't bother to make any excuses.

"Seeing as how Mom didn't grow up with him, I am guessing you found your way out of that deal" Stella exclaimed.

"Yes, I did. I fell in love with him" she deadpanned, and chuckled almost in pain at their fallen faces.

"You fell in love with the_ Dark One_?!" Ruth asked in surprise and Cora could only nod.

"I changed the deal; instead of giving him _my_ child, I will give him _our _child" she explained.

"Well thankfully that means that Mom really is Henry's!" Stella sighed in relief.

Before anybody else could interrupt, Cora went back to her tale, "I was supposed to run away with him before the wedding, but then Henry's father gave me an offer I couldn't resist. He said that once he dies, I will be queen, and I can make people bow to me, just like I once did. I was blinded by my anger and desperate need for revenge, that when I decided to stay, I realized that the only thing keeping me back was my love for Rumple"

For the first time in her life, Cora was openly sobbing. She didn't care what they will think of her, she just wanted to let her own daughter know how sorry she was.

"And that's why you ripped your own heart out" David finished.

"And with your heart out, the only emotions you felt were the ones you already felt before, revenge and anger. And without any feelings of remorse to hold you back, you turned colder and colder with each passing second" Stella added, and Cora nodded.

"How is that related to how the curse broke?" Leopold asked through gritted teeth, and Stella smiled when she saw her mother rubbing his hand in comfort.

"Well, since she had her heart out when she cast it, the things she cared about the most were power and magic. She sacrificed those to cast the curse, and that is why Mom had all the power in this world and not Cora" Stella explained, and Cora was surprised when she felt a pang at Stella's usage of her name.

"So I thought that maybe if I put it back in, it will change her priorities, change the thing she cares about the most, and therefore making the curse null and void!" she explained.

"Huh?" Snow wondered.

"She turned her into a mother" Ruth stated simply, and Cora smiled at the prospect. It was true, Stella did turn her into a mother, and she loved the feeling.

"Exactly, Mom became the thing she cared about the most, and that meant that she never really sacrificed what she truly cared about, so it was as if she never really did" Stella explained.

"What do you mean you 'thought'? You weren't sure?" Leopold asked.

"No, I wasn't. I was taking a leap of faith, and figured that even if it didn't work, that at least I will have someone on my side from the inside. Someone to keep an eye on you and make sure that Gold keeps his end of the deal, and hopefully helps me figure out a way to break the damned thing" Stella answered, and saw pain flash in her mother's eyes at the prospect of her leaving.

"How did you find the heart?" Cora now asked.

"Well, I went to the mausoleum to say goodbye to Grandpa and apparently I leaned a bit too heavily on the coffin, and it moved. I went down and found your secret vault, with your heart beating nicely in the box" she replied.

"You were saying goodbye to him, but you were gonna leave without so much as a word to me" Regina accused. She didn't bother to hide the pain from her voice, and Stella cocked her head to the side at the statement. She walked over to her, and crouched down in front of her.

'Wow, is that how she felt every time I accused her of not wanting me?' she thought.

"All I cared about was your _life_, the mere thought that I will have to stand over a coffin that has your dead body in it scared the hell out of me. I would rather live away from you, with the hope that one day I will get you back, than be near and get you killed. I was not going to roll the dice, with your life hanging in the balance" she almost pleaded. The last thing she ever wanted was for her mother to believe that she didn't care about her.

"Mom, the last thing I want is to hurt you, or to see you in pain. And I knew that if I tried to say goodbye, that I was going to back down and stay and I couldn't risk your life" she added, as she reached up and gently wiped the cascading tears, her pleading gaze holding her mother's pained one steady.

"Did you kill my mother?" Snow asked, not sure if she wants to know the answer.

"No I didn't, but that doesn't mean that I didn't orchestrate everything else" she admitted.

"What do you mean?" Stella asked.

"Snow's runaway horse, Regina being out in the field when it happens" she elaborated.

"But why would you take Stella away from her? Why would you have her marry Travis? Why keep Stella hidden from her back home?" David yelled in frustration.

"Travis was not my doing, I didn't mean for Regina to marry him. All I did was guarantee that she wont be married to Leopold and that Stella wont be her daughter. The fact that Stella didn't even end up in this world, and Regina being married to Travis was a surprise to me" she explained.

"Then how..."Snow began to ask, when Stella interrupted her.

"Rumpelstiltskin, he's the one who created the curse. He must'v done something"

"Why would he create a curse that would've made him powerless?" Snow asked.

"Well, he wanted to find his son, but he couldn't give up the power, so he figured if he got someone else to do it, then he could still be powerful in this world, just without the magic" she replied, "but that didn't happen because Cora gave Mom all the power"

"His son?!" David repeated.

"Neal" she said simply, and chuckled at their fallen faces, before she proceeded to explain how Neal came to this world.

"That still doesn't explain why were you so hell bound on keeping Stella away?" Ruth asked, and Stella furrowed her eyebrows. But before she could say anything, Cora surprised her with the answer.

"Because she was my undoing" she whispered, and now it was Stella's turn to stare at her dumbfounded.

"What are you talking about?"

"A week after you were born, Rumple came to me and said that he saw your future and that you were going to destroy me" Cora elaborated, "said that the only way to kill you was to drown you in Lake Nostos" she added.

"Is it me or is it starting to sound like Gold was the one who wanted to get rid of you?" Snow asked, and Stella shook her head in confusion.

"But since Stella is standing right there, I am guessing something happened" Ruth interrupted

"I created the replica, to make it look like she died in her sleep. But when I got to Lake Nostos, I discovered that Rumple lied. Every time I put her in the water, the water would recede away from her, and almost carry her" she recounted.

"So?" Leopold asked baffled.

"I remembered a prophecy that I read in one of the books he had at his castle. A child born on a star-lit sky, her magic is so pure and so powerful that not even the water of Lake Nostos or the Dark One's magic can harm her" she stated.

"So when you discovered that she the only one who can stand to the Dark One himself, it was only natural that she had to be kept away from her mother" David snapped sarcastically.

"No, I had to go so as not to ruin Mom's chances of becoming queen!" Stella dead panned. Cora, Regina, Leopold and Snow all snapped their heads in her direction, and stared at her dumbfounded in shock.

"How is baring his child ruining her chance?" Ruth asked.

"Because I'm not his by blood" Stella dropped the bomb, and rubbed her father's hand when he gasped softly.

"I beg your pardon?!" David breathed in shock.

"The part that Cora didn't mention about this prophecy is that the child would have to be the product of true love, and that is how she found out about Daniel" Stella elaborated.

"Who is Daniel?!" Ruth and David chorused at the same time, and Stella furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"I never told him" Snow breathed, not taking her eyes off the spot she seemed so fond of on the coffee table.

* * *

20 minutes later, David's jaw was hanging open in shock, while Ruth's tears flowed down her cheeks freely. Regina had her eyes screwed shut, and leaning heavily against Leopold, her hands squeezing Stella's as the latter moved her thumb up and down her side in an effort to comfort her. The story was mostly told by Stella, Snow and Cora.

"And because Stella was his, you decided to kill her!" David barked.

"I didn't know that Leopold knew the truth, I was blinded by the thirst for power. I wasn't going to let anything stand in my way or Regina's. I thought that if he ever learned the truth about her, that it will ruing everything" she whispered.

"But then I told you that I knew! I asked where she was and you said that she was dead, even though you knew it wasn't true!" Leopold barked, "why the hell didn't you bring her back then?" his entire body was vibrating with anger by then, and Stella's attempts to calm him down were proving to be futile.

"Because I didn't know where she was" she cried.

"What are you talking about?" Regina finally spoke.

"When I realized that she was Daniel's, I blocked her from you, so that you cant find her and that included magic. The block was on her blood, no one from her blood line would've been able to locate her. And by the time Johanna found the replica, she had been in the woods for hours, and I thought that she would've really been dead by then" she explained.

"That's why it took us five years to find her, that's why all the searches came up empty!" Leopold breathed.

"Wait, but that would mean that I wouldn't have been able to find her at all!" Stella remarked.

"Yes, but I didn't take into account your magic, your broke through the block" Cora explained.

"How long have you known about Daniel?" Regina asked, her voice hoarse from both lack of use and crying.

"I've been seeing him in my dreams since I was about 15, but he didn't tell me the part about me being his daughter till about three years ago" she grumbled.

"But you just called me..."Leopold trailed.

"Just because I'm not yours by blood, doesn't mean that I'm not yours. You were the one who married Mom to protect me, moved the troops for five years straight in an effort to bring me back, and you were the one who bent over backwards for three years to ensure that I heal properly. You are my father, and so is he" she assured him lovingly.

"Is that how you knew how Mom was before I was born?" Snow asked.

"Yeah, apparently dead people know things. He said that your parent's marriage was arranged, but since Dad spent a lot of time with your mom to show her how he likes things to be done, it brought them closer, and eventually they did fall in love" she elaborated.

"That still leaves many questions unanswered" Ruth remarked.

"Like what?" Stella asked.

"Like why was Rumple so hell bound on getting rid of you? Why was he framing Regina for Travis's murder? If he wanted to find his son, who so happens to be your brother-so to speak- then why the hell was he trying to drive you away from town?" she listed.

"Those are all great questions, but they can wait till tomorrow. It's been a long day, so how about we call it a night and head to bed?" Stella suggested.

"Stella, do you mind driving me or smoking me back to the house?" Cora asked.

"Actually, you're staying here. Judging by how Ashley reacted, I am guessing that half the town is out for your head, so you need to stay where I can keep an eye on you. You can take the guest room, and I'll crash in with Mom" Stella exclaimed. She didn't miss how her mother stiffened at the suggestion, but she knew that no matter how hard her mother tried to deny it, she didn't want anything back to happen to Cora and that is what Stella was trying to ensure.

"David, you and Snow can come with me to the house, I don't think you guys are in any danger and we live right across the street" Ruth said.

"Sounds like a plan" Leopold said.

* * *

**So looks like this vacation proved to be good for inspiration, and the lack of watching the actual show is making my head buzz. Thanks to all who read, followed, favorited and of course reviewed. **

**Reviews make me very very happy, so let me know what you all think of this. **


	32. Why?

** FTL-28 Years Ago.**

The room had been cleared of all the maids and midwives, with the exception of Johanna. Even the King had left the room to pay the physician for his efforts and make sure that no one tells Snow of the news, he wanted it to hear it from either him or Regina. He also knew that the child was going to demand food soon, and he wanted to give Regina the privacy she needed for nursing.

And so the room only had the new mother, with her tiny bundle still cradled in her arms, Johanna and a still disappointed Cora. Regina knew that she needed to change her nightgown, and give the maids a chance to change the soaked sheets once more, but she found herself unable to tear her gaze away from her baby's inquisitive obsidian eyes.

She had loved her baby from the second she knew she was pregnant, and didn't think that her love for her will ever grow. But God was she mistaken; the second the baby was placed in her arms, she could feel the love grow to mythical proportions. Her heart swelled and the tears streamed down her cheeks once more, when the baby closed her tiny mouth around her nipple and proceeded to feed, still grasping her index finger in her tiny ones. She was grateful that her mother didn't even ask to hold the child, for she wasn't sure that she can bare to part with her, let alone part with her and hand her to her mother. She knew Cora was disappointed that the baby wasn't a boy, but Regina couldn't care less about the sex of the baby. As long as they were healthy, and safe in her arms, everything else can go to hell.

The longer she looked at her child, the more pain she felt. How could her mother not feel this way about her? How can she be so cruel with her? She had only been a mother for two hours, and yet she had taken every single vow she knew of to protect and love her daughter. She couldn't even imagine doing a fraction of the things her mother did to her as a child to her daughter, the mere thought sent shivers down her spine. She bent down to press what seemed to be the millionth kiss to the tiny forehead, chuckling to herself about how irritated her mother seemed of the public display of emotions, but she didn't seem to be have enough.

"Regina, give the child to Johanna now, so she can take her to the nursery" Cora ordered.

Regina stiffened slightly, and tightened her hold on the baby. She could almost swear that she felt the tiny fingers wrap tighter around her index, as she looked up at her mother. Even though she was nervous about the upcoming confrontation, she didn't let it show in her features. She held her mother's gaze steadily, and defiantly, "she is staying with me" she said in a clipped tone, her voice authorotative, and if the other party of the conversation was any one else aside from Cora, it would've meant end of discussion. Of course, other people weren't Cora.

Her lips pursed together in a disapproving manner, and she glared at her daughter. The latter considered that the conversation was over, and looked back at the now yawning child.

"Regina" Cora growled, "you need your rest, you just gave birth and you are exhausted. And the child will want to be fed every two hours"

"Which is why it will be easier for me to feed her, if she is asleep in the bed with me and not in a different room. Like you said, I just gave birth, so I highly doubt that I will be able to walk to the room in two hours" Regina retorted.

"That is why I told you to hire a wet nurse, but you kept procrastinating it, till it was too late" she snapped.

"I wasn't procrastinating, I already told you that I will be the one feeding my own child" she almost hissed through clenched teeth. Her mother was getting on her nerves, her very hormonal nerves and she didn't want to bite her head off while Johanna was there.

"Regina, don't be absurd. You cant possibly think that the queen will have time to breastfeed a child"

"Well, good thing that I have my priorities straight then. I am a _mother_ first, and a queen second. This is my child, and I will be the one to decide how she is taken care of" she growled.

"Everything alright ladies?" Leopold pipped up from the door.

"Oh, nothing to worry about your highness. I was just trying to point out to my daughter, how crazy it is to take care of a new born. I was merely suggesting that she hires a wet nurse, and allows the child to sleep in a separate room so she can rest" she said sweetly.

Regina glared at her and opened her mouth to protest, when he beat her to the punch.

"Lady Cora, we already went through this. I believe Regina refused to hire a wet nurse, and has decided to feed our daughter herself. And seeing as she just gave birth, so I believe that walking back and forth between here and the nursery God knows how many times a night, isn't very practical" he said calmly.

Regina smiled gratefully at him, the only thing she could do to stop herself from smirking and gloating at her mother's dropped jaw.

"But she's the queen your majesty, she has other duties" Cora protested.

"She is also a mother, and she has a duty to her daughter. And like you said, she's the _queen_ so she will be the one to decide how to run her life and how to spend her time. She is well aware of her duties, and it is up to her how she wants to preform them" he remarked casually. And Regina was finding it very difficult to keep her resolve, and not break out into a happy dance, so she decided to keep her eyes on the now sleeping infant.

She heard Cora as she stomped away, and the door nearly slam behind her if Johanna hadn't caught it. They said goodnight to the older maid, and both leaned back against the pillows. It didn't take long before she heard Leopold's rhythmic breathing. She knew that she was supposed to sleep, now that the infant was, but she didn't seem to be able to close her eyes. She turned onto her side, and kept the child snuggled up against her chest as she gently stroked her forehead, and the mop of black hair adorning her tiny head.

"I promise you that you will have a mother" she whispered.

* * *

**Storybrooke-Present.**

As they walked up the stairs, Leopold pulled Stella back.

"Sweetie, I need to talk to you about something" he said, and she nodded.

"We'll be right up" he told Regina, when she looked at them questioningly. He saw the slight panic in her eyes, and smiled reassuringly at her. He knew that she was sure that he wont hurt Stella, but she was afraid that if she left her sight even for a second, that she will vanish forever.

Stella walked with him towards the living room, and he waited till he heard Regina's bedroom door close, followed by Cora's before he walked over to his brief case-which he had with him when the curse broke- and pulled out a file.

"Before Travis attacked Regina, Claude and David were trying to build a case against him for your attack" he started, and she nodded at him to continue, "they needed to make sure that no one else in your past had a grudge against you and would've benefited from your death" he added, as he walked closer to her.

Her eyes landed on the large, bold, black print on the front of the file and swallowed hard.

"I already told him that no one knew that I was here" she said, without taking her eyes off the file.

"Yes, but you had been taking trips to Boston in the weeks prior to your attack, so someone could'v followed you. And it's not like we knew that this town was protected from strangers by the curse" he said softly. He knew that she already knows what was in the file, seeing as how she was refusing to meet his eyes.

"Does she know?" she almost whispered, and he easily spotted the held back tears.

"No"

"Then let's keep it that way" she said, as she turned around to leave. He dropped the file on the table and grabbed her arm, "Stella".

She whipped around to face him, and he found himself staring at the hurt eyes of the five year old who couldn't understand why the only father she ever knew didn't love her and hurt her, "this is why I didn't point fingers to him, because I knew that Claude and David were gonna have to look into my past to make sure that no one else has motive to do it, and I knew that this was going to come up. I didn't want either of you to know" she cried in frustration.

"Why?" he asked softly, and she waved her hand incredulously.

"I was trying to break the curse, I was hoping for a day when her mind will finally catch up to her heart and she will remember that I was her daughter. I didn't want her to know that Travis attacked me, and I sure as hell didn't want her to know that some guy twisted my arm so bad when I was ten that the bones actually snapped" she yelled, tears running down her cheeks and breaking his heart in the process.

"The first word that left her mouth when she saw me at the hospital was 'I'm sorry', she was pleading with me and begging me to believe her when she said that she had no idea he was the one behind it all along. She didn't even remember being my own mother, and she didn't even ask me to stand up for her, and she still felt guilty for what happened. So yeah I didn't want either of those incidents on her mind when I finally do get her back, because they're in the past and that's where they need to be" she finished softly, and he moved towards her and pulled her into his arms.

"You've spent almost your entire childhood trying to save us, protect us; it's time that you let us do the same for you" he mumbled into her hair.

Stella opened her mouth to say something, when they both heard yelling coming from Cora's room. They both immediately recognized Regina's chocked up voice, and all but ran up the stairs.

* * *

Regina walked out of her room, a pair of silk pajama folded neatly on top of her hands, with a toothbrush lying on top. She was both surprised and glad that the door to the guest room that Stella occupied a mere week ago was open, and she spotted her mother sitting down on the bed.

"I figured you'll need these for tonight, and Stella can take you tomorrow to get the things you need from your house till we figure out a more permanent arrangement" she remarked dryly. Her voice was unusually neutral and flat, her eyes were hard and her posture looked like an animal ready to attack at any minute.

It broke Cora's heart to see her daughter like this, ever since she got her heart back, she had gone over all of her days with Regina, from the moment she was born all the way to when she pushed her through the mirror. The more she looked in on those days, the more she felt like she was suffocating. She wanted to hold her daughter, and beg for her forgiveness. She wanted to take away all the pain that she caused her, she wanted to comfort her. But she knew she couldn't, she knew that Stella was right; she cant be the one to comfort her, not when she's the one responsible for the hurt in the first place.

"Regina" she called softly.

"Don't" she exclaimed angrily, "please don't" her voice cracked at the end, and she hated herself for showing how vulnerable she was. A part of her wanted nothing more than to throw herself into her mother's arms, and finally get to know what it feels like to be held by your mother; but the other part thought that she was a bad person for wanting this.

She wanted to turn around and get out of the room, but found herself unable to do so. One question had been echoing in her head since the curse broke, and before she could stop herself, she voiced it.

"Why?" she cried, "why wasn't I ever enough for you? Why weren't all those years of crying and begging enough to make you even consider putting your heart back to see what it will feel like to have a daughter? Why didn't you just put it back after I married Leopold? Why not when I was standing in front of you begging you to give me my baby back?" she cried.

"I thought it was going to blind me from what is important, that all it would do is make me take trivial things into consideration" she whispered.

"You thought that _I _was trivial?" she screamed.

"No, of course not. It was all for you, I thought I was doing what was best for you" she explained.

"How is killing my fiance right in front of me what is best for me? How is taking _my baby_ -an innocent child in all of this-what was best for me? Do you have any idea the hell your actions brought on?" she asked, her voice catching at the end, "she was terrified to sleep at night because he might come and take her; it took her six months till she was able to sleep through the night without a nightmare; and three to stop mumbling 'mommy please come get me I'll be a good girl in her sleep'; her face would drain of all blood at any loud or sudden noise; she didn't even let Leopold touch her for six weeks straight; and she..."she paused to collect her breath, and shook her head helplessly, "she thought that I was the one who abandoned her; that I was the one who gave her to that monster; and that I was going to give her back to him"

Regina was openly sobbing, and yelling at her mother. They were both so focused on each other, that they didn't hear the sounds of hurried footsteps. They had both forgotten that the door to the room was still wide open, and Leopold and Stella were still in the house.

"Mom, stop" Stella cried, as she ran into the room and stood in front of her mother, "stop" she ordered a bit more softly now.

Regina's tear-filled eyes just moved wildly between hers, not sure of what she was looking for, but it somehow made her feel worse when all she found was love. She turned around and darted out of the room, ignoring both Stella and Leopold's calls.

"I'll get her" Leopold remarked.

"No, I will, this is exactly what we were talking about" she said pointedly, before turning around to face Cora.

"And you, this is not what I meant by giving her space" she reprimanded, "you want to help her? Give her some time to process it all, to process all of her feelings"

"She doesn't have to process anything, she hates me and that is perfectly deserved" she retorted.

"She doesn't hate you, Cora" Leopold said, and she looked at him skeptically.

"If she did, then she wouldn't have been in so much pain, it wouldn't have hurt so bad. She loves you, and that's the problem. She thinks that it makes her a bad mother"

"That's ridiculous, it only shows how big her heart is"

"I know that, and now I just have to get it through to her. So please, I'm begging you, give her some time" she pleaded gently, and Cora nodded solemnly. She offered her a small smile, before she left the room, giving her father's hand a small squeeze on the way out.

* * *

**Alright folks, here's the next chapter. Let me know what you all think of it.**

**Thank you to all who read, followed, favorited and reviewed; I greatly appreciate it.**

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**Thanks.**

**This isn't proof-read, so excuse any mistakes, I will try to re-read it again tonight.**


	33. A Mother And Her Child

Stella walked down the stairs, and looked around the seemingly deserted first floor, trying to listen for any sound that might indicate where her mother is. She headed for the living room, and caught how the glass doors in the dinning room were ajar. She moved closer, and saw her mother's frame sitting on the bench under the apple tree. The closer she got, the more details she was able to make and her heart broke with each step.

She could see her mother rocking back and forth on the bench, her arms wrapped around her middle. She heard the sniffling once she was out of the house, and saw how stiff she was when she got close. She didn't say a word, just walked over and crouched down in front of her. Regina's screwed eyes flew open when she felt a hand rest on her knees, a soft sob escaping her lips when she was met with her daughter's soft brown eyes.

She tried to say something, anything, but nothing came out. She wasn't sure what to say to begin with, her mind seemed to betray her and refused to conjure up anything for her to voice. Her emotions were a jumble, and so were her thoughts. She wanted to pull her daughter into her arms, but her arms refused to move as well.

Stella's heart constricted when she looked into her mother's eyes, they were lost, filled with pain and guilt. She wished that she could take it all away with a simple wave of her hand, but magic couldn't heal wounds of the heart and mind, just those of the body. She knew that she had to at least try to take them away, so she decided to spare her mother the difficult task of having to say anything.

"You never told me about the mumbling thing" she said softly.

"You thought I was going to give you back to him because you woke me up _one_ morning; imagine if you had known that that was actually the first night that you didn't" she declared incredulously, and Stella winced at the memory of what she said to her mother.

"I really hurt you, didn't I?" she almost whispered, and Regina cocked her head to the side almost in pain.

She untangled her arms, used one hand to hold onto one of Stella's, while the other brushed some hair behind her ear, "don't ever say that, you were the one person who never did. You were five, you were terrified and it was _my _job to make you feel safe, and I..."the rest of the sentence died in her throat.

"You did make me feel safe, Mom. What you did for me in three years, kept me going for twenty!" she stressed.

"You thought you were abandoned, that everything you knew was a lie" she cried.

"No, I didn't" Stella objected softly, and saw the doubt in her mother's eyes.

"You don't have to sugar coat it for me, you told me the truth when I was nothing more than just the mayor of this god forsaken town"

"No, I said that they were the ones who thought that I was abandoned. They thought that I was traumatized because of how adamant I was that I was Snow White's little sister, and that I came from the Enchanted Forrest because of the evil witch's curse. I never believed what they said even for one second. I know what I said that day, and I never said that I believed it" she said softly.

She let out a long sigh when she saw the doubt undeterred in her mother's eyes, "do you remember when I accused you of not wanting me on my birthday?" she asked, and at the pain she saw, she knew her answer, "do you remember what you said?" this time she was rewarded with a nod. "You said that no matter what happens, no matter what I hear, even if all the signs point towards the fact that I was abandoned or that you didn't want me, that there is always another explanation" she stated gently, "so how could I possibly believe that you abandoned me? The last thing I remember you saying is how much you loved me, how you were begging me to never forget, how could I forget all of that?" she argued softly.

"Then why did you start seeing Daniel?" she retorted.

"Because I gave up" she said simply, and Regina looked at her questioningly.

"I gave up on finding you" she said as a way of explanation, "I never thought that you abandoned me, but I had started to believe that I will never find you again, and I started thinking that maybe I should stop getting my hopes up. I stopped trying to access my magic, stopped looking for ways to find you or break the curse. I just stopped, and that's why he came" tears were making her way down her cheeks now.

"Mom I never thought that you abandoned me, I was just tired of getting my hopes up only for them to crash, so I stopped crying" she choked, desperate to get her mother to believe her, "and I'm so sorry that I did, if I had known that you were..." she couldn't say it, tears clouded her vision and her voice died in her throat.

Regina's chest tightened when she realized that Stella was blaming herself for what happened to her, she pulled her up and was glad when the she didn't object, only wrapped her arms around her torso and nuzzled her neck, "baby, you have nothing to apologize for. You didn't know and you were just a child. None of what happened to me was your fault" she soothed, gently stroking her hair as she rested her cheek against the side of her head.

Unbeknownst to both brunettes, Cora was standing at the behind the glass doors, observing the interaction quietly. It broke her heart seeing them both like this, knowing that it was all her doing. She didn't need to hear what they were saying to know that they both had a very long way back to healing. She smiled softly when Stella clung to her mother, and was surprised at how small and vulnerable she seemed. She didn't see the feisty, overprotective and notorious young witch, she saw a little girl hugging her mother. She saw a very distraught and almost broken mother, desperate to take all of her child's pain away.

* * *

**So only two reviews! This chapter was stuck in my head and wouldn't let me sleep so here it is, but no reviews mean no updates. Reviews inspire me to write and they let me know what you guys think of the chapter. So keep'em coming.**


	34. Burnt Bridges

The night seemed different on this particular night, as the moon shone above the small town of Storybrooke, Maine. Its residents slept soundly, each with their loved ones, and each with their memories back. Not many of them had been separated by the dark curse, only Regina who was taken away from her child. For Cora didn't really care about how anybody else's life turns out, just as long as her daughter was alone and only has her in her life. So even though, they were never really separated, it was still an emotionally exhausting day for all the residents, as they tried to make sense of the two sets of memories in their heads.

But as emotionally draining as it was to all of them, it was nothing compared to the still ongoing struggle at the mayor's mansion. Even though the small town seemed deserted and void of any life, as its residents slept soundly. Sleep seemed to elude on resident in particular, who had far too much on her mind.

Regina lay on her side, propped up on one elbow with her hand supporting her head, while she ran the other one through Stella's hair, as the latter slept soundly. She was amazed at how Stella drifted off to sleep the second her head hit the pillow, and seemed to be sleeping without a care in the world. She was too scared to sleep, scared of even closing her eyes. Scared that when she opens them, Stella wont be there. That she would have disappeared, and she will be alone again. Scared that the events of the that day would be a dream, that she will still be stuck in the hell she called a life before with Travis.

She was thinking about everything that has happened since Stella came to town, the look in her eyes, how desperate she always seemed to protect her, all the horrible things she told her when she was nothing more than just the mayor to her. She had read her adoption file, she knew the kind of life she lead. How horrible it was, how she bounced around from one foster house to the other till she was 16 when she checked herself out of the system. Her heart had ached when she read as the mayor, and it was now crushing within her chest at the horrors her baby faced, all because of her mother.

She was angry at her mother for all the pain she had caused, she had destroyed lives, one of which was her own granddaughter's. She was pissed at Rumple, who was so much of a coward that he chose power over his own son, and then destroyed lives in an effort to correct it, or maybe even so that everyone else are in pain like he is. She was mad at her father for never standing up to her mother for her sake, she loved him dearly, but she could never forget how he always stood by and watched what her mother did to her. How could he not have known that his own wife was literally heartless? How did he not notice the change in her? She couldn't have gotten this cold and cruel overnight, so why didn't he try to stop it sooner? Why didn't the Blue Fairy do something before she got this ruthless? Why didn't she try to help Stella? Travis had no magic, she could'v stopped him.

But as much as she tried to deny the truth, she knew there was no way around it. She had to admit it to herself, and just live with the consequences. The person she was mad at the most was herself. She was mad that she even though she was angry and furious with her mother, she didn't want nothing more than to just curl up in her arms like Stella is doing right now. She wanted to know what it feels like to be held by a mother, to have her mother look at her with love and pride. Even after all the horrible things that she did, she still loved her mother and desperately craved her affection.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a the sound of her door opening, she turned towards it slightly to take a better look at who it was and found Leopold creeping in.

"Hey" he whispered, as he walked in.

"Hey yourself, why are you up?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same question" he quipped and she chuckled softly. He made his way around the bed, and sat on the other side facing her and the passed out Stella.

"She looks beat" he remarks.

"She is, I don't think I've ever seen her sleep this peacefully since she got here. Except maybe the night I spent with her" she said.

"She was finally back in your arms after 20 years, of course she slept peacefully" he said gently and she smiled softly at him.

"When she snuggled up to me that night, it felt vaguely familiar. For the first time in a very long time, I felt like I belonged, like I was meant to be there; it felt right" she recounted, "and the next morning, the gratitude I saw in her eyes..."she trailed off, and shook her head slowly. He didn't really need her to finish, he knew what she meant.

"What were you two talking about?" she asked, and he was grateful for the darkness for she couldn't see his face or his eyes. His gaze was still fixated on Stella, as a battle ensued in his brain. Should he tell Regina? Could he tell her that some guy broke a 10 year old's arm? Could he really put that image in her head? Or should he just lie?

"Nothing you need to worry about" he finally said, and when she opened her mouth to protest, he put his hand up to silence her.

"Regina, you both went through hell for the past 20 years, and those wounds wont heal overnight. They are deep, and they will take time to properly fade away. She may be 28, and she may act tough and like she's got everything under control, but she's not. It's a survival mechanism that she developed over the years, and in many ways, she's still that eight year old who clung to your neck and desperately tried to keep the smoke at bay. She's finally safe and sound in your arms, and you both need time to heal. So stop worrying about the past, and just be there for her. That's all she ever wanted, that's what she had been fighting for all this time, to get you back. Help her heal, and allow her to help you heal. You know that I am here for you, and I never thought I'd ever say this, but so is your mother. I know that there is a lot of history there, and you're scared, rightfully so. But stop trying to fight your feelings, the fact that you don't hate her doesn't make you a bad mother, it makes you a wonderful one. It shows what kind of a heart you have. I told you this before, and I am telling you again. You have a beautiful heart, and it seemed that you passed it on to her. Let the past be, leave it where it belongs and just focus and now, and what is to come. Enjoy the feeling of your daughter in your arms, enjoy the way your mother is looking at you, bask in it all and allow it to heal you"

Regina's tears were softly trickling down her face at his words, and she hadn't realized that she had stopped stroking Stella's hair until she felt Stella grab her arm and press her back even more into her as she hugged her arm.

"Thank you" she said sincerely, and he smiled at her, "no need for that, you know I'm always here for you. We agreed a very long time ago, that we are friends, and that is what friends do" he said softly, as he got off the bed. He moved around it and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Good night, Regina"

"Good night, Leo"

She waited till she heard the soft click of the door as it closed, before she looked back down at her sleeping daughter. Leopold had a point, they both had a rough couple of decades, and they both need to heal. But the question is, can she ever forgive her mother for what she has done? Can she let go of the anger she has towards her for the hell her actions brought on? Can she really allow those wounds to heal?

She found herself once again turning towards the love she had for her daughter for strength, after all it is what kept her afloat once before, so maybe it can do it again. She slid down a little, and rested her head on top of Stella's, kissing the side of it softly when the latter snuggled up to her. It didn't take long before she her eyelids started getting heavy, and she could feel sleep as it tried to claim her. She felt the door open for the second time, and decided to pretend to be sleeping, knowing that it was probably her mother and she was intrigued to see what she was going to do.

Cora stood there for a few minutes, just watching how mother and daughter slept, wrapped in eachother's arms, wishing that one day Regina will allow her to hold her like this. She finally understood why Regina didn't want to part with Stella, how she was able to stand in the nursery for hours watching her sleep. She had been playing her life with Regina in her head, reliving all the moments that she should've enjoyed the first time they happened and regretting all the things she missed out on. She tried to remember a happy memory, but found none. Most memories had a young Regina crying and begging her mother, her beautiful brown eyes looking at her with love and plea in them, a desperate look to be loved always clouded them. She finally understood the desperation in Regina's voice as she begged her to bring her baby back.

She tiptoed towards the bed, careful not to make a sound that would disturb the peacefully sleeping duo and for the first time in her life, she bent down to press a soft kiss to the side of her own daughter's head. She was barely able to swallow the sob before it escaped her lips, but she didn't bother to hold back the tears. She never expected that it would feel like this. A simple action, like kissing her daughter's head, would bring her such joy and peace. But it also brought regret, regret as she gazed upon all those wasted years.

"I'm so sorry baby" her voice was more of a hushed sob than anything.

Regina waited till she heard the door click once more, before she allowed a single tear to fall past her shut eyelids. Could she really get past all the hurt and pain and finally get the mother she always longed for?

* * *

**Alright, so I know that this is short but I am working on a one shot for my other story, My Little Princess, since the anniversary is on Tuesday, but I decided to get this up anyways. I might be able to update again tomorrow, but that of course depends on if all of you lovely readers reviewed or not. **

**To VampirePrincess, that's totally fine, I always too lazy to log on if the site logs me off and I am using my phone to review. And yes, hell yeah seems to describe it adequately :D. Glad you liked it and I appreciate the review.**

**To Bluerose, I see you are new, welcome and I am very glad to hear that. Thanks for the review, keep'em coming. **

**To Guest, anything in particular you are wondering about?**


	35. Good Morning And Good Luck

Leopold woke up surprisingly early the next morning, even though he had slept late. His sleep wasn't as restful as he had hoped, but under the circumstances, he couldn't really complain. He was confused when he first opened his eyes, and was met with strange, unfamiliar walls, before his mind finally caught up and he remembered the events of the day before. He was grateful that his room had its own bathroom, for he was sure that Regina and Stella were still fast asleep, especially Regina, and he didn't want to disturb them. Once he was finished with his morning routine, he tiptoed out of his room and headed for Regina's. He was pleased when he saw that the door wasn't closed all the way, and was cracked a bit. He pushed it slowly, careful not to make a sound, and peeked inside. He smiled softly at the sight of the two peacefully sleeping brunettes, all cuddled up in each other's arms. He made sure to close the door all the way as he left, and headed for the stairs. He figured he should start on breakfast, none of them had eaten anything since noon yesterday, they didn't really have the appetite.

As he passed by the second guestroom in the house, he was surprised when he found the door wide open, and the bed to be empty; empty and neatly done. He walked down the stairs, and decided to look for Cora before he assumes that she had left the house. He found her in the living room, hunched over something, that he still couldn't make out. Once he made it to the doorway, he knew exactly what she was reading. Stella's file-which he had forgot to put away the night before- was open in her lap and she was holding one of the pictures that showed a 10 year old Stella with more bruises than he cared to count on her body, and a swollen forearm.

When Cora heard the sound of his footsteps on the hardwood floor, she looked up at him and he was genuinely-but pleasently-surprised to see the tears and horror on her face. He didn't know whether to be angry, or happy that she read the file. On one hand, it wasn't really his place to tell her something like this about Stella. But on the other hand, he wanted her to know the kind of consequences that befell an innocent child from her selfish acts; he wanted her to know what she put his child through, all because she didn't approve of who her father was. He was sure that her mind had already conjured up scenarios on what Travis had done to her, based on what he did to Regina. Especially that Stella was a child when she was with him, and children are bound to make mistakes.

"Where did you get this?" she whispered, through her tears and he sighed. As much as he wanted to bite her head off, Stella was right. Yelling off with her head wasn't going to help, and it sure wasn't going to solve anything or change the past. It was obvious that she felt remorse, and finally felt the consequences of her actions. And so, for the sake of the broken brunette that he had promised to protect along time ago, he decided to at least be civil with her.

"We were trying to build a case against Travis for her attack, so we had to make sure that no one else would want to hurt her" he said in a clipped tone.

"Does Regina know?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Stella doesn't want her to, and since it is not our story to tell, we have to respect her wishes" he almost spat.

"She was 10, and he..."she couldn't finish it, it made her sick.

"She was five when we found her, and she had more bruises on her body than that" he deadpanned, and she gasped.

"I saw three on each thigh before we called the physician, and when she fell asleep that night, Regina pulled up her gown and showed me the ones on her back" he recounted.

"I never meant for this to happen" she whispered, and he glared at her.

"No, you meant for her to die" he snapped.

"I was blind" was all she said.

"I wont argue with you there"

"I'm surprised you didn't fight Stella when she said that she wanted me to spend the night here" she said.

"She was right, half the town is out for your head"

"I would've imagine that would please you" she stated.

"It wouldn't have pleased Regina, it would've devastated her and I cant let that happen" he said.

"You care about her" she remarked, a small smile tugging at her lips at the prospect that her daughter didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

"Of course I do, she's like a sister to me. She was in her twenties when we got married, I am nearly three times her age. And when she told me about Daniel, and Stella, I knew that I had to protect her" he exclaimed.

"You knew before you married her that she was pregnant?" she asked, and he nodded, "there's no way Stella could be mine" he said coyly, and knew that she got the message when her eyes widened in surprise.

"You two never..." she trailed off, and he shook his head, "her heart belonged to Daniel, and mine belonged to Eva; it would've been unfair to her if I made her sleep with me. We decided before we got married, that we were going to remain friends. It was purely platonic between us" he explained, "we helped each other heal and move on; but our hearts were still taken"

"You're a good man" she said softly.

"And she's a great woman, and despite everything you did, she still loves you. She's scared of getting hurt again, and she's angry at you for all the things you have done" he said.

"I know" she whispered dejectedly.

"Stop making excuses, don't try to push her or rush her. Take her at her own pace, and accept whatever she throws your way" he said, and she nodded.

* * *

It was well past midnight when Regina finally fell asleep, and so she expected that she was going to sleep in late. But as the golden sun rays shone over her face, her eyes fluttered open and she was surprised that she actually felt rested. A smile tugged at her lips when her gaze fell on her daughter's sleeping face, and she hummed contently.

She moved a bit closer, bringing one hand to gently brush her hair away, taking in her features and every part of her. She looked peaceful, and content. She looked younger, now that the burden of the curse was off her shoulder. She looked vulnerable, she looked just like the little girl who even after three years, still refused to part with her for long periods of time.

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, just like when she was born, she couldn't get enough. She chuckled softly, when Stella hummed contently and snuggled up to her. Sighing happily once she was tucked safely in her arms.

Stella had refused to open her eyes when she woke up, she could feel her mother's arms around her, but she was still scared. She was scared that when she opens her eyes, it wont be her mother there, but Regina Mills, the mayor of Storybrooke. She was scared that when she opens her eyes, that she will find that everything that happened the day before, was nothing more than just a beautiful dream. She felt her mother brush her hair away from her face, and how her thumb gently stroked the hairline right above her ear, but she had woken up to that before, and it still wasn't her mother. All of her fear immediately evaporated when she felt the soft lips feathering a kiss to her forehead, and she knew that when she opens her eyes, she will find her mother and not the mayor.

She hummed contently, and snuggled up to her, nestling her face in the crook of her neck and chest, and tightening her arms around her waist.

"Morning" she mumbled into her mother's chest.

Regina pressed a kiss to the top of her head, smiling softly when Stella rubbed her face in her chest, "Morning, darling. Did I wake you?" she asked lovingly.

Stella smiled wistfully at the question, "didn't I ask you that once?" she murmured, and Regina chuckled.

"Your eyes were glowing with mischief that morning, it was the first time I had seen that look in your eyes" she reminisced, smiling softly at Stella when she pulled back so she can look at her, "you had the covers pulled up all the way to your nose, you only pulled them down when you said 'I love you'"she continued, as a tear fell out of the corner of her eyes.

"I had been thinking about saying it for weeks, but I was scared" she confessed, and Regina looked at her questioningly.

"Scared?" she repeated, and Stella nodded.

"I'v had those dreams of you holding me, and telling me how much you love me for as long as I can remember. And Travis always said that my mother left because of something I did" she started, and saw the pain flash in her mother's eyes, "I knew it wasn't true, but in my head, I had you for a while when I was a baby, and everything was alright, until it wasn't. One day I had you, the next I was stuck with Travis. That's why I was scared of saying it, I was scared that something bad might happen later, and it will all be ripped away" she explained.

Regina hadn't stopped stroking her hair the whole time, her heart breaking, piece by piece with every word Stella said.

"I never meant to hurt you that day, Mom, I was just scared" she whispered regretfully and Regina shook her head.

"No, baby, you were just a child, a _baby_ and you were scared" she soothed.

"When I felt the smoke coming near us, I remember how I was panicking, and trying to use magic to stop it, all the while begging you not to go. How tight your arms were around me, and how you kept saying 'I love you' over and over, and begging me not to forget. And then I felt the smoke surround us, and I said 'I love you'. But I never knew if you heard it or not, because the next thing I know, I'm all alone on the side of the road. And it was one of the things I regretted all the time; how I waited three months to say it, and how I waited till the smoke took you away to say it" she choked out, as the tears now made their way down her cheeks.

Regina just pulled her back into her arms, bringing one hand to cradle her head when she felt how Stella was clawing at the back of her shirt, "shhhhhh, it's okay baby, I'v got you, I'm right here" she soothed, as she murmured kisses into her hair, "I did hear you say it, but I didn't get the chance to let you know because everything went black" she lied. Truth was, the last thing she remembers hearing from her were the pleas. But she didn't want Stella to know that, she didn't want her to know that that was the first thing that rang in her ears when the curse broke. She smiled softly when she felt Stella sigh in relief, and tightened her arms even further around her.

"And I also heard it when you said it the night you slept in my arms" she said softly.

Stella pulled back slightly from the hug so she can look at her mother, "what are you talking about?" she asked, baffled.

"When you fell asleep, you mumbled 'I love you mom'" Regina answered, her heart swelling when she saw the happiness in her daughter's eyes, as she wiped away the cascading tears, and stroked her cheek lovingly.

"When I first started seeing Dad, and he was trying to get me to believe that I was going to find you again. He was taking it easy at first, just telling me stories about the two of you growing up, skipping past the parts that would get me suspicious that you two might have been together. But then one day, he was really pushy about how I need to believe that I will find you, how I need to figure out a way to access my magic and how I need to find a way to break the curse. When he asked me why I'm giving up, I screamed that there was no point. That you don't even know that something is missing, and maybe you really are better off that way" she recounted, "the whole point of the curse was to erase me from your memory, so maybe I need to let things be" she continued.

"Oh baby" Regina breathed, and Stella smiled reassuringly at her, "he said that maybe your mind doesn't remember, but your heart does. He said that your heart knows that something is missing, but because of the curse, you cant pin point what it is. He said that you knew who I was in the woods, so how can you not know that I was missing?" she added, "and he was right. From the first time you saw me, I saw it in your eyes, the worry, the need to wrap me in cotton to protect me, the need to shield me, the pain as I told you things about me growing up and the love" she finished.

Regina was overwhelmed by what her daughter was saying; that Daniel had that much faith in her, how Stella was able to see it all in her eyes during the curse, the amount of love she saw swirling in her eyes right now.

"The first memory I formed was about a week before I met you, and ever since then I felt this weird void in my heart, like I was missing something. That void slowly started to heal when I met you, every time you smiled, or laughed, or let me hold you for whatever reason, it healed. I didn't understand my feelings about you, and I thought it was because I always wanted a child. There was a constant battle inside of me, a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I'm missing something. But that night when you fell asleep in my arms, it was the first night that I had slept peacefully. I felt whole again, like I belonged" she said and Stella smiled.

"Only a mother's heart can recognize her child like that, and you have one of the greatest hearts I've ever known. And the fact that you cant bring yourself to hate Cora for what she did, proves that even more. You're not a bad mother, you're a great one. And you have a wonderful heart, so don't ever let anyone change that. I don't want you to hate her, on the contrary, I want you to have a mother, just like I do" she stated gently, and Regina averted her gaze.

"It's because of her that you grew up without me" she said stubbornly.

"I know, and it was because of her that you grew up without a mother too. I'm not saying forgive her right away, I know it will take time. All I'm saying is, don't fight it. I know that you've always dreamed of having a loving mother, and craved her love and affection, it's only natural that you did. I did for years, but the only difference is, I knew that you loved me, I never doubted that. And now, you know that she loves you too, the curse wouldn't have broke if she didn't. She loves you, and she does feel the consequences of her actions. Leave the past where it belongs, because what ifs aren't going to change anything. Just let her in, and bask in her love. You finally have it, don't torture yourself. That's not what Dad would've wanted, and it sure as hell isn't what I want" she retorted.

* * *

They both walked into the kitchen, and found both Leopold and Cora hard at work preparing breakfast.

"Do I need to call Whale and tell him that he might have incoming victims of food poisoning?" Stella quipped, and both Cora and Leopold whipped around, not having heard them enter the kitchen.

"Ha, ha. I will have you know that I am an excellent cook" Leopold stated matter of factly.

"I'll believe that if I'm still alive after I eat" she said cheekily.

Regina and Cora both seemed to be too preoccupied, the latter not being able to take her eyes off her daughter, while said daughter was looking anywhere but her mother's eyes. Regina was incredibly grateful when the doorbell sounded off, and gave her an excuse to leave the kitchen, "I'll get that" she said hastily, before darting out of the kitchen.

Leopold switched off the stove, and followed Cora and Stella out of the kitchen when they heard Snow's voice.

"Looks like we're not the only ones who didn't sleep in" Ruth remarked.

"No, even though it took us a while to sleep, or at least that was the case for most of us" Leopold quipped, and Stella shot him a scathing look, to which he smiled innocently.

"Hey, she broke the curse, she gets to do as she damn well pleases" David jumped to her defense.

"HA" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Anyways" Snow chimed in, "we need to figure out what we're gonna do now that the curse has broken"

"What do you mean?" Cora asked, as they all headed for the living room.

"I mean, no body outside of this room -maybe with the exception of Rumplestiltskin- knows what happened, or how the curse broke; and almost all of the residents are out for your head. Stella has a job that requires her to go to Boston, and the second she is out of town, it'll be 'cat's away, the mice will play' situation. And even if she didn't leave town, she cant be your body guard till the end of time" she elaborated.

"Well, how about a town meeting?" Stella suggested.

"Yeah" David agreed, "we can explain to people the situation, and I think that'll get them to back off Cora"

"It wont work with George" Leopold objected, "he'll be able to rattle up some people and turn them against us"

"Not if we tell them that Stella has magic" Snow stated.

"Then he'll turn it into a witch hunt" Regina said in horror.

"No he wont, if we tell the people the whole story, including the prophecy regarding Stella, he wont be able to say that she was evil"

"But what about Rumple? I know he doesn't have magic, but he's still pretty terrifying to most people and he's cunning" Cora added.

"She's right, after all he killed Travis -or at least had him killed- just so he can force me out of town" Stella concurred.

"How about Neal? If all of this was to find him, then maybe if Neal is here, he'll back off" Snow suggested, and Stella shook her head.

"No, Neal bent over backwards to avoid running into him when he came before, I am not serving him to the man who abandoned him on a silver platter. I will call Neal and let him know that I broke the curse, and I will let him decide if he wants to come and let his father know or not. As for Rumple, I don't think he's stupid enough to do something that will piss me off, knowing that I can kill him with a blink of an eye" she said with finality, and none of them dared argue.

"I'll call Claude, and see if he can help me wrangle the people for the meeting. We'll call you guys when we're ready" David said, and they all nodded.

* * *

**Not so many reviews, but they were enough to get me to upload the chapter since it was already half done. Keep the reviews coming, or the next chapter wont be up soon. I need motivation, so keep'em coming. They make me very very happy.**

**To Metope, sobbing? Oh whatever the reason could be? ;)**

**To Bluerose, thank you my dear, I am glad to her that.**


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